Hossein Vatani

Introduction: The image of a tourist destination has an important role and influence in the decision-making process, destination selection and tourist behavior. The present article is an attempt to present a comprehensive concept of the image, its process and the influencing factors on the formation of the tourist's image (both before and after visiting the destination) Golstan province in Iran. Methods: The present research is practical in terms of its purpose. It is quantitative in terms of data type. It is descriptive in terms of how data is collected. It is a survey research in terms of implementation. It is a type of correlation. ۱۳۲ (N=۲۰۰, n=۱۳۲, Krejci and Morgan) tourism employees in Golestan province were surveyed using simple sampling method. Research data were collected using a questionnaire ۲۸ items and analyzed by SPSS and LISREL Software. Results: The findings show that image formation is affected by the perceptions and personality of the tourist as well as the characteristics of the destination. Discussion: Considering that Golestan province has the sea, forest, mountain range, plain and pasture, atural resources have the greatest impact on the formation of the image of the tourist destination.

Destination image, Natural resources, Public infrastructure, Tourism infrastructure, Political factors, Economic factors, Social-Cultural factors