Destination image from an Arab perspective : the influence of culture on perceptions of and motivations for visiting the Gold Coast, Australia

Arab tourists are recognised as an emerging inbound visitor market for Australia, as evidenced through increased visitor numbers, coupled with high levels of expenditure. Despite this increased, research relating to the motivations and perceptions of Arab tourists, especially towards Australia, is sparse. In order to bridge this gap, this thesis investigates Arab tourists’ perceptions of, and motivations for visiting Australia, using the Gold Coast as a case study. The thesis also examines the impact of Arab tourists’ culture on these perceptions and motivations. Finally, this thesis explores differences between Arab tourists’ perceived image of the Gold Coast and the destination’s actual identity as constructed by marketers.