لخّصلي

The Internet has become the primary means with which destination marketing organizations (DMOs) communicate with prospective tourists (Buhalis 2000, 1998; Gretzel, Y. Yuan, and Fesenmaier 2000; Hwang et al. 2006; Morrison, Taylor, and Douglas 2004; Wang, Hwang, and Fesenmaier 2003).Zack et al. (2007) indicate that most destination marketing websites focus primarily on information provision and usability with the belief that this strategy will be sufficient to attract the prospective visitor to the destination.Importantly, the recent evolution in Internet technology representing consumer-generated contents seems to support Fogg, showing that the Internet is, indeed, one of the most persuasive media for destination marketing to influence tourists' travel planning process (Anderson 2006; Hwang et al. 2006; Kim and Fesenmaier 2005, 2006, 2007; Tapscott and Williams 2006).DMOs are faced, however, with tremendous competition whereby destination marketers increasingly try to design their websites as a tool for influencing travellers' decision-making process (Werther and Klein 1999).The research methods and the findings of this study are then presented.5

The Internet has become the primary means with which destination marketing organizations (DMOs) communicate with prospective tourists (Buhalis 2000, 1998; Gretzel, Y. Yuan, and Fesenmaier 2000; Hwang et al. 2006; Morrison, Taylor, and Douglas 2004; Wang, Hwang, and Fesenmaier 2003). Indeed, essentially every DMO in the United States has developed a website for the purpose of destination marketing (Zach, Xiang, and Fesenmaier 2007). DMOs are faced, however, with tremendous competition whereby destination marketers increasingly try to design their websites as a tool for influencing travellers’ decision-making process (Werther and Klein 1999). Fogg (1999, 2003) and others (Gretzel 2004; Gretzel and Fesenmaier 2007; Kim and Fesenmaier 2007; Murphy et al. 2003; Xiang and Fesenmaier 2006) argue that the Internet is a particularly effective communication medium for persuading people. Zack et al. (2007) indicate that most destination marketing websites focus primarily on information provision and usability with the belief that this strategy will be sufficient to attract the prospective visitor to the destination. Importantly, the recent evolution in Internet technology representing consumer-generated contents seems to support Fogg, showing that the Internet is, indeed, one of the most persuasive media for destination marketing to influence tourists’ travel planning process (Anderson 2006; Hwang et al. 2006; Kim and Fesenmaier 2005, 2006, 2007; Tapscott and Williams 2006). This study builds upon the work by Fogg (2003) and Kim and Fesenmaier (2005, 2006, 2007) to investigate the persuasive design of destination websites. In particular, this study will explore the underlying dimensions of persuasiveness of destination websites and assess their influence on the formation of first impression. This study
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begins by reviewing the literature discussing information search behavior and the use of the Internet for trip planning as well as the formation of a first impression toward destination websites provided by state tourism offices in the United States. The research methods and the findings of this study are then presented. The final section of the paper concludes by discussing the theoretical and practical implications for further development of destination marketing websites.
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