Travel in the Mirror

Researchers led by Živa Kolbl have published a study in the journal Tourism Management with a surprising finding: travellers do not evaluate destinations in isolation but through the lens of their own place of origin. Perceptions of home serve as a reference point against which other places are assessed.

The study shows that it is often perceived differences – rather than similarities – that increase travellers’ intention to visit a destination. Places appear particularly attractive when they differ markedly from the characteristics travellers associate with their own home. The authors describe this as a “mirror effect”: images and stereotypes of other places are always shaped in relation to people’s perceptions of where they come from. The findings offer valuable insights for debates on the tourist gaze and the construction of tourism narratives.