Abstract

Destination image has been found to have a profound influence on the purchase decisions of tourists. A negative incident can mar positive perceptions that tourists have towards a destination culminating into losses for that destination and its tourism. This study explores the effects of negative incidents in a destination’s macro-environment on its image in context of the recent negative publicity surrounding the assaults on Indians in Australia. The findings indicate that the Indian tourists are discernable in their evaluation of Australia as a tourist destination. The cognitive dimensions of Australia as a place of natural beauty and provider of quality education were unaffected, however, the affective dimension relating to the affinity they felt for Australian people was severely damaged. Many felt that their nationality would render them vulnerable to assaults in Australia and as such it was no longer believed to be a safe destination to travel to, especially for Indians.