The lighting dimension of perceived tourist image: the case of Barcelona

ABSTRACTPerceived tourist image has been studied from different dimensions. However, destination lighting, as a dimension of the perceived tourist image, has so far been unexplored. This research letter analyses illumination of tourist sites as a dimension of the perceived night-time tourist image. Results show that lighting is a relevant issue for image perception, and is related to the image projected by some monuments and tourist attractions. Results show that age and origin are determining factors of this dimension of image perception. Some managerial and research implications are also considered and discussed.