Differences in pre and post trip perception on international tourists’ destination images in Tanzania perspective

This research is laid down in the context of tourism destination images, more specifically in the role of perceived destination images in decision making for the travel. The research was based on the statement of the problem that tourism destination products and services cannot be tested prior to pay for, and as a result customers have to build up perceptions of them and make their purchase decisions based on the perceived images. Specifically, the research intended to meet the following four objectives, namely; to examine the differences of perceptions between pre and post trip tourists, to ascertain the influence of the tourist travel experiences on destination images, to determine the influence of the type of travel arrangement on choosing tourism destinations and to evaluate the extent to which travel party (tripographics) influence on the adapted (personalized) post trip image. The outcomes of the study indicated that experiences of the tourist play a significant role in travel towards tourist destination, the same studied departing tourists were tested with t –test according to various factors. Also has shown that for both, pre and post trip tourists, the more frequently they visit the destination, the more they are enthusiastic to come back to the same destination or another destination in the same country. Furthermore, the findings have shown the significance of both prospective tourists and the tourists who have already spent their holiday in that destination.