Australian residents' perceptions of China as a tourist destination

This study employs the cognitive-affective image framework to explore Australian residents' perceptions of China as a tourist destination. Street intercept interviews were conducted in Sydney and Adelaide to collect data, with a total of 253 useable questionnaires returned. The results indicate that Australian residents generally perceived China as a favourable tourist destination. Salient cognitive image features identified from the study comprise the Giant Panda, iconic attractions like the Great Wall, the Imperial Palace and Terra-cotta Warriors, history and culture, cuisine, overpopulation and environmental pollution. Affectively, respondents regarded China as an 'interesting and exciting' tourist destination. Based on the empirical findings, destination marketing and positioning implications are discussed.