An urban tourist destination represents a city as a spatial unit characterised by numerous dimensions of tourist attractiveness and various tourist activities. According to Pavković and Vlastelica (2022), the concept of dimensions of tourist attractiveness is a broader concept than tourist attractions, as it includes tangible and intangible attributes, but also those attributes of the destination that do not represent attractions for tourists per se, but in combination affect expectations and experiences of tourists. These dimensions, individually or jointly, through quality experiences with them, and consequently, reputation as an attitude that arises based on these experiences, increase the destination’s competitiveness in the global tourism market. Wang et al (2021) state that in conditions of increasingly strong competition, only those tourist destinations that have a good reputation have the opportunity to attract a larger number of tourists.

Reputation is a psychological construct (Aksak et al, 2016) based on personal experiences with the subject of reputation (Darwish and Burns, 2019; Vlastelica et al, 2018) and represents a comparable category according to different criteria (Dutot and Castellano, 2015), such as competition (Rindova et al, 2005) and personal expectations (Khan and Digout, 2018). Reputation is a more complex concept than image (Argenti and Druckenmiller, 2004; Shirvani Dastgerdi and De Luca, 2019), as it is formed based on experiences with the subject of the reputation (Chun, 2005) and requires significantly more time to develop (Walker, 2010), considering that it includes, among other things, previous and present experiences (Artigas et al, 2015). In fact, an image creates expectations about a destination (Jiang et al, 2016; Kladou and Mavragani, 2015), through marketing and public relations activities (Skočajić et al, 2024), especially media and promotional campaigns (Ali et al, 2018), as well as by conveying other people’s experiences through different narratives (Morgan et al, 2007), whereas reputation is shaped by personal experience (Ali et al, 2018; Foroudi et al, 2016).

Su et al (2018) argue that a positive reputation is becoming increasingly important for tourism, particularly in how tourists perceive a destination based on their experiences and how they develop subsequent behaviours. In this regard, numerous authors have pointed out in their works that a good reputation is fundamentally based on quality experiences (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975; Pavković, 2022; Vlastelica et al, 2017; Zhang et al, 2018). Artigas et al (2015) observe quality experience through cognitive and affective evaluation. They note that cognitive evaluation is based on paying attention to stimuli and events, as well as understanding and remembering them. Thus, it presents how individuals perceive and process attributes of the tourist destination, such as architecture and natural features, attractions, services, and infrastructure. On the other hand, affective evaluation encompasses a set of positive, neutral, or negative associations related to the destination, which arise from emotional reactions to different places that are transformed into images and memories. The authors argue that when both cognitive and affective evaluations are favourable, they foster a positive reputation for the destination. Tourist experiences are crucial to the perception of a city, as tourists move around the city, enjoy the sights and attractions, sounds and smells, and interact with local people, which greatly affects their overall experience (Wearing and Foley, 2017). Therefore, it is particularly important to have a sufficient number of diverse dimensions of tourist attractiveness that can attract tourists to an urban tourist destination and provide them with unique experiences.

Numerous authors have established that the reputation of a tourist destination represents a manageable category which significantly affects the future intentions and behaviour of tourists (Garín-Muñoz and Moral, 2017; Hassan and Soliman, 2021; Wang et al, 2021). Previous research showed that the reputation of a tourist destination can be observed through tangible and intangible constituents (Ali et al, 2018; Wearing and Foley, 2017), depending on the specificity of the dimensions of tourist attractiveness to which experiences and attitudes relate. Pavković (2022) states that to create a quality reputation of an urban tourist destination, not all its constituents need to have a good reputation. Tourists sublimate experiences of all individual constituents of reputation, giving them different importance (depending on motivational factors), so that overall reputation is formed at the expense of the strongest, which can be positive or negative. Based on previous considerations, three research questions emerge. First, what are the constituents of the reputation of an urban tourist destination that are significant for tourists? After the constituents have been determined, the question is whether there is a relationship between these constituents and subsequent intentions and behaviours. Finally, it is of interest to observe if and how the demographic characteristics of tourists (age and income level) affect the defined relationship.

Many countries recognised tourism as an opportunity to improve their economy, so they strategically approached development and increased investments in this area. Urban tourism attracts more and more tourists, thus making it one of the fastest-growing types of tourism (Pavković et al, 2024; Postma et al, 2017). World Travel & Tourism Council (2022) in the Cities Economic Impact Report states that many major cities remain iconic destinations that hold the key attractions for visitors. From 2022 to 2032, the sector is projected to increase its share of economic activity in numerous major cities, e.g., direct Travel & Tourism Gross domestic product (GDP) from cities will grow from 582 bn to 1.1 tn dollars. Reputation is one of the most important elements that contribute to the economic benefits of cities as urban tourist destinations (Shirvani Dastgerdi and De Luca, 2019; Garín-Muñoz and Moral, 2017; Papadimitriou et al, 2018; Su et al, 2018). Therefore, city governments and destination management organisations (DMOs) need to pay special attention to creating and managing a good reputation for individual dimensions of tourist attractiveness and the overall urban tourist destination.

Emerging economies are currently the primary drivers of the increasing global demand for international tourism. The United Nations (UN) World Tourism Organization states that some of the fastest-growing outbound tourism markets are the emerging markets (World Travel Market, 2023). Serbia represents a typical emerging tourism industry (Statista, 2024), and Belgrade, being the capital, economic centre and most populated city of the country, is also an example of a major city in a developing country. According to the Oxford Economics Global Cities Index for the year 2024, Belgrade is in the rank group 401–425 (Oxford Economics, 2024). Other capitals of the emerging economies within the same group are Skopje (North Macedonia), Baku (Azerbaijan), Quito (Ecuador), and Chişinău (Moldova). Emerging Europe, a London-based organisation that aims to promote the potential of emerging countries, in 2023, ranked Belgrade as the 14th established city on the business-friendly city perception index in the Emerging Europe (2023). Belgrade shares cultural similarities with a range of cities, particularly in Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and other emerging markets with similar historical, economic, and social contexts. Belgrade is culturally similar to cities in the former Yugoslavia (Zagreb, Sarajevo) and other post-socialist countries (Budapest, Bucharest, Sofia, Warsaw) (Babić, 2021), as well as cities in Turkey due to their Ottoman past. Therefore, it is viable to examine a representative sample of Belgrade residents to examine reputational constituents and their impact on tourists’ intentions and behaviour in terms of research results generalisation.

To answer the previously raised questions, a conceptual model has been proposed and verified on a representative sample of the Belgrade population. By answering the raised questions, it is possible to provide valuable answers and detangle how members of a particular surveyed population perceive any tourist destination and which reputational constituents of a tourist destination are attractive to them. The results of this study could be useful for destination management organisations willing to attract members of a particular population.

The paper is structured as follows. After introductory considerations, the second part provides an overview of the literature on the reputation of urban tourist destinations. The third part proposes the constituents of reputation, subsequent intentions and behaviours of tourists, and the conceptual model. The fourth part describes the research methodology, while the fifth part presents and interprets the research results. We finish the paper with the discussion and concluding remarks.

In recent years, an increasing number of researchers have recognised the importance of reputation and have demonstrated its impact on the competitiveness and attractiveness of tourist destinations, reducing risk when making travel decisions, and other significant aspects of the decision-making process and intentions towards tourist destinations. Thus, similar to corporate reputation, the reputation of tourist destinations represents one of the most important intangible assets (Darwish and Burns, 2019). Hassan and Soliman (2021) even consider tourism an industry that depends on reputation.

Satisfaction with tangible and intangible constituents of reputation affects the creation of the overall good reputation of an urban tourist destination and consequently impacts the intentions and behaviours of tourists. A positive reputation of an urban tourist destination has been shown to significantly impact various aspects of its attractiveness and success. Several authors have discussed how a well-maintained reputation enhances a destination’s competitiveness. For instance, Hassan and Soliman (2021), Darwish and Burns (2019), and Morgan and Huertas (2011) emphasise that a strong reputation can position a destination favourably against competitors, making it more appealing to tourists. Moreover, a reputable destination increases tourist loyalty and influences repeat visits, as highlighted by Su et al (2018) and Papadimitriou et al (2018). The credibility and reliability of the destination are also significantly bolstered, further reinforcing tourist confidence and driving repeat visits (Artigas et al, 2015; Cillo et al, 2021).

Furthermore, a positive reputation has been found to influence word-of-mouth recommendations. Garín-Muñoz and Moral (2017) note that satisfied tourists are more likely to recommend a destination to others, effectively enhancing its visibility and appeal. Wisnawa et al (2019) consider important tourists’ expectations as their hope that their needs would be satisfied primarily in the context of the quality of dimensions of tourist attractiveness. Based on that, tourists’ trust is critical when selecting a destination, and studies by Hassan and Soliman (2021) and Su et al (2020) show that a good reputation reduces perceived risks, increasing the destination’s attractiveness. Additionally, having a positive reputation signals that the destination offers high-quality products and services (Su et al, 2020).

A good reputation also directly impacts the economic aspects of tourism. According to Wang et al (2021) and Garín-Muñoz and Moral (2017), tourists tend to spend more at reputable destinations, which can enhance local economic benefits. In the event of a crisis, a strong reputation can expedite recovery (Su et al, 2018). Finally, a strong reputation can attract investment and qualified human resources, which are crucial for the sustainable growth of the tourism sector (Darwish and Burns, 2019; Shirvani Dastgerdi and De Luca, 2019).

Artigas et al (2015, pp. 147) define the reputation of a tourist destination as “tourists’ evaluative judgment and perception of the tourist destination based on its activities and past performances”, or as “a synthesis of opinions, perceptions, knowledge, and attitudes of various stakeholders, including tourists, local residents, and society as a whole”. Su et al (2018, pp. 4) define destination reputation as “a global assessment of the degree to which a destination is perceived as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ by tourists”. Vlastelica et al (2017, pp. 158) state that reputation consists of “beliefs and attitudes, preceded by experience, which result in intentions and behaviours of individuals”. This definition is based on the Theory of Reasoned Action (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975), which claims that experience with an object leads to the creation of beliefs and attitudes that subsequently lead to intentions and behaviour towards that object, forming a causal chain. Based on this theoretical approach, Pavković (2022, pp. 20) defines the reputation of an urban tourist destination as “a psychological construct based on tourists’ attitudes towards the urban tourist destination and its physical and social elements of tourist attractiveness, based on personal experiences and representing a comparable category, both in relation to personal and social expectations, as well as in relation to competition, whereby, as such, reputation affects the intentions and behaviours of tourists towards the urban tourist destination”.

Personal experiences are crucial in forming a reputation in tourism (Foroudi et al, 2016) because they stem from tourists’ contacts and interactions with the physical environment, atmosphere, other tourists, and service providers (Ali et al, 2018). In this sense, exceptional experiences are one of the most important benefits tourists seek (Cillo et al, 2021), representing the kind of experiences that exceed the expectations of tourists regarding the dimensions of tourist attractiveness. The significance of experiences for destination reputation is also confirmed by Zhang et al (2018), who believe that destinations, due to increasing competition, must create and provide an unforgettable cognitive and affective perception of experience to tourists, thereby establishing a strong bond between the destination and tourists.

According to Artigas et al (2015), there is causality between: (a) cognitive and affective perception of experiences, (b) reputation, and (c) future intentions towards the destination. They note that cognitive evaluation is based on paying attention to stimuli and events, understanding and remembering them. Thus, it presents the way in which individuals perceive and process attributes of the tourist destination, such as architecture and natural features, attractions, services, and infrastructure. On the other hand, affective evaluation encompasses a set of positive, neutral, or negative associations related to the destination, which arise from emotional reactions to different places that are transformed into images and memories.

Numerous elements create a destination’s reputation (Morgan, 2012), so the process of creating and managing it requires a cooperative approach from various actors at the destination itself (Beritelli and Laesser, 2011), which is why Buhalis (2003) considers destination reputation management particularly challenging. Vengesayi and Mavondo (2004) believe that destinations should build a positive reputation by enabling tourists and visitors to have quality experiences, which depend on the expertise and enthusiasm of employees in the tourism industry as well as the local population. The local population is one of the most important elements in creating the reputation of an urban tourist destination, through their role in the experiences of tourists staying in the destination. This primarily refers to hospitality (Zhang et al, 2018), knowledge of foreign languages, acceptance of different cultural values and characteristics of tourists from abroad, willingness to help tourists, and the atmosphere they create in the destination.

Measuring reputation is challenging, and therefore, different metrics have been proposed. For example, according to the Reputation Institute’s City RepTrak® report (2018), the key attributes driving a city’s reputation and which are directly related to tourism are a safe environment for visitors and residents (12.2%) and a beautiful city (11.9%). In this paper, based on a literature review and previous research, constituents of urban tourist destination reputation have been identified as a comprehensive system of tangible and intangible dimensions of tourism attractiveness related to the urban tourist destination. Tourists primarily form expectations regarding the dimensions of tourism attractiveness of the urban tourist destination that they consider the most important. Then, during their stay at the destination, they form attitudes towards individual dimensions of tourism attractiveness with which they have had experiences, which are the result of cognitive and affective evaluation of the experience.

As a basis for defining tangible and intangible constituents of reputation, the division into physical and social dimensions of tourism attractiveness proposed by Pavković and Vlastelica (2022) was used. Tangible reputation constituents are: parks and green areas (PGA), tourist attractions along the waterfront (TW), cultural and historical attractions (CHA), hospitality and entertainment facilities (HEF), festivals and events (FE), shopping facilities (SF), accommodation facilities (AF), price affordability (PA), cleanliness of the city (CC), convenient transportation and easy access to all tourist facilities in the city (CT). Intangible constituents of reputation are the following attributes: safe (SAF), interesting (INT), authentic (AUT), and pleasant ambience (PAM).

Furthermore, the authors have defined certain intentions and behaviours of tourists that are a direct consequence of a good or bad reputation of a tourist destination and that reflect satisfaction, loyalty, and willingness to recommend. Those are: positive review and recommendation in person (PIP), positive online review and recommendation (POL), willingness to visit destination again (VDA), and willingness to permanently move to destination (MTD).

We primarily base the proposed model on the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) by Fishbein and Ajzen (1975), which suggests that the correlation between experience, beliefs, attitudes, intentions, and behaviour is a suitable and well-established theoretical foundation for examining the impact of destination reputation on tourist decision-making. By applying TRA, we systematically analysed how tourists’ perceptions of, experiences with, and attitudes toward tangible and intangible reputational constituents translate into their intentions to visit, recommend, revisit a destination, or permanently move to a destination. TRA has been effectively utilised in tourism research to predict various behaviours. Sparks and Pan (2009) found that tourists’ attitudes toward sustainable travel influenced their intention to choose eco-friendly accommodations, while subjective norms (friends’ and family’s views) reinforced these choices. Han and Kim (2010) applied TRA to explain green hotel choices, highlighting that positive attitudes and social approval drive eco-conscious booking decisions. Ryu and Jang (2006) demonstrated that tourists’ intention to try local cuisine in a travel destination was shaped by both their attitude toward local food and social influences. Besides the TRA, we took into account the cause-and-effect behaviour related to reputation and companies (Vlastelica et al, 2017), tourist destinations (Cillo et al, 2021; Garín-Muñoz and Moral, 2017) and urban tourist destinations (Pavković, 2022). It was reasonable to assume that the good reputation of an urban tourist destination has some kind of influence on the behaviour of tourists in relation to it. On the other hand, starting from the characteristics of dimensions of tourist destination attractiveness presented by Pavković et al (2024), and based on the sistematisation of constituents of reputation presented by Pavković and Vlastelica (2022), it would be interesting to investigate what are the consequent intentions and behaviours of tourists in relation to tangible and intangible constituents in urban tourist destinations with a good reputation.

The first hypothesis of our work is:

H₁: There is a positive relationship between the tangible constituents of reputation and consequent intentions and behaviours toward the urban tourist destination.

Consequent intentions and behaviours toward the urban tourist destination have been a topic of interest for many scholars. In their study, Bigne et al (2001) observed how image, quality and satisfaction impact the desire to return and willingness to recommend a destination. They found both statistically significant direct and indirect relationships. A few years later, Um et al (2006) slightly modified the model and observed how perceived attractiveness, satisfaction, perceived value for money impact revisit intention. They also obtained positive statistically significant impacts. Both of these models are promising. However, their reputation constructs were single-item constructs, indicating that the multidimensionality of reputation could not be captured. In a more recent paper, Hassan and Soliman (2021) observed how destination reputation impacts revisit intention. They went a step further and perceived reputation as a multidimensional 5-item construct. Their results pointed out that reputation positively and significantly impacts willingness to visit a destination again. The research also explores the recommendations in person and online. Wang et al (2021) analysed how tourism destination reputation measured through catering quality, accommodation condition, landscape, cultural attraction and recreation and entertainment activities, impacts tourist consumption behaviour regarding willingness to recommend a touristic destination to others. A positive relationship was determined. Within the listed studies, when measuring reputation, these authors mostly focused on tangible aspects of reputation and used single-item constructs. In our study, compared to the listed studies, we have a slightly different approach. We observe tangible constituents of reputation as a latent construct, while behaviours related to an urban destination with a good reputation as single-item elements. Therefore, our hypothesis H₁ can be parsed into:

H_1.a: There is a positive relationship between the tangible constituents of reputation and positive review and recommendation in person (PIP).

H_1.b: There is a positive relationship between the tangible constituents of reputation and positive online review and recommendation (POL).

H_1.c: There is a positive relationship between the tangible constituents of reputation and willingness to visit the destination again (VDA).

H_1.d: There is a positive relationship between the tangible constituents of reputation and willingness to permanently move to a destination (MTD).

The second hypothesis of our work is:

H₂: There is a positive relationship between the intangible constituents of reputation and consequent intentions and behaviours toward the urban tourist destination.

The previously shown literature review signalled that authors vastly focused on tangible constituents of reputation when mentioning reputation. Within our research, we wanted to make a distinction between the two. Nevertheless, several studies focused on intangible constituents of reputation and their impact. Artuğer (2015) showed that the less safe the perception of a tourist destination, the lower the revisit intention is. Hasan et al (2019) proved that perceived destination risks negatively influence tourist attitudes towards revisiting destinations. Lai et al (2018) showed that higher safety perception leads to positive recommendations. Kim and Bonn (2016) determined that existential authenticity affects willingness to return and willingness to recommend to others. Again, we observe intangible constituents of reputation as a latent construct, while behaviours related to urban destination with good reputation as single-item elements. Therefore, our hypothesis H₂ can be parsed into:

H_2.a: There is a positive relationship between the intangible constituents of reputation and positive review and recommendation in person (PIP).

H_2.b: There is a positive relationship between the intangible constituents of reputation and positive online review and recommendation (POL).

H_2.c: There is a positive relationship between the intangible constituents of reputation and willingness to visit the destination again (VDA).

H_2.d: There is a positive relationship between the intangible constituents of reputation and willingness to permanently move to a destination (MTD).

Numerous authors have proven that different demographic characteristics moderate tourists’ experiences, perception, image and reputation formation. Social Identity Theory posits that individuals derive a portion of their identity from group memberships, such as age cohorts and socioeconomic classes (Scheepers and Ellemers, 2019). These group affiliations shape perceptions and behaviours, including travel-related decisions (Huang et al, 2008). Understanding these dynamics allows for more accurate modelling of tourist behaviours and intentions (Sakakida et al, 2004). Incorporating age and income as moderating variables in the study of tourist decision-making is essential, as these demographic factors significantly influence perception, attitudes, travel behaviours and preferences (Hoxter and Lester, 1988). Age affects tourists’ destination choices, activity preferences, and overall travel motivations (Triandis, 1995). Income levels determine the affordability of travel options, influencing decisions regarding destination selection, accommodation types, and length of stay (Hoxter and Lester, 1988; Huang et al, 2008). From a managerial perspective, recognising the moderating effects of age and income enables tourism marketers to tailor the offer and communication strategies effectively (Huang et al, 2008). By segmenting the market based on these demographics, marketers can customise promotional messages, select appropriate communication channels, and design offerings that resonate with specific groups (Kostic-Stankovic et al, 2019; Triandis, 1995). Therefore, we add one more hypothesis:

H₃: Demographic characteristics of the respondents influence the relationship between the constituents of reputation and specific consequent intentions and behaviours towards the urban tourist destination.

As different demographic characteristics can be moderators of the observed relationships, herein, we focus on the impact of gender and income. For example, Wang et al (2016) used multi-group SEM analysis to compare models of cognitive and affective images between genders and found gender-related differences between the models. Abubakar et al (2017) used the same methodological approach to observe how gender moderates the impact of online WOM on revisit intention. Gender differences were also found in the work of Krupskyi et al (2019). Looking at the impact of income, Djeri et al (2014), also on a sample of Serbian respondents, showed that income is a major factor in tourism-related decision-making. Struwig and du Preez (2024), in a recent study, showed that respondents with different income levels pay attention to various tangible and intangible aspects of the reputation of a tourist destination.

Based on the literature review, we have formulated the following hypotheses:

H_3.a: The age of respondents influences the relationship between reputation constituents and specific consequent intentions and behaviours toward urban tourist destinations.

H_3.b: Income influences the relationship between reputation constituents and specific consequent intentions and behaviours toward urban tourist destinations.

Fig. 1 provides a conceptual model based on the defined model elements and hypotheses. One side of the model represents the tangible and intangible constituents of reputation, while the other, the outcome side, illustrates the behaviours related to an urban destination with a good reputation. The observed relationship is moderated by respondents’ age and income.

Prior research was either focused on proving that certain elements influence reputation (Ďaďo et al, 2020; Papadimitriou et al, 2018), that overall reputation affects the competitiveness and attractiveness of tourist destinations (Cillo et al, 2021; Darwish and Burns, 2019; Su et al, 2020) and has an impact on individual specific subsequent tourist intentions and behaviours towards a destination (Hassan and Soliman, 2021; Wang et al, 2021; Yamashita and Takata, 2020). However, this research provides a detailed insight into the correlation of individual constituents of reputation with numerous and various specific intentions and behaviours of tourists, which is important for the efficient management of urban tourist destinations. Also, the research explains this relationship considering tourists’ demographic characteristics.

As the conducted research and the proposed model lead to as many as twelve research hypotheses, an omnibus presentation on the research results and the acceptance and rejection of the research hypothesis is given in Table 8.

The research results have shown a certain level of relationship between the quality of experiences related to the constituents of reputation and the subsequent intentions and behaviours of the respondents. This finding indicates the importance of reputation for urban tourist destinations, which aligns with previous findings of some authors in the field (Shirvani Dastgerdi and De Luca, 2019; Su et al, 2018). The following can be concluded by observing the verification results of the overall model. Constituents of reputation are statistically significant predictors of certain behaviours toward the urban tourist destination. Therefore, hypotheses H₁ and H₂cannot be accepted, as not all observed relationships are statistically significant. Interestingly, in the four equations of tourist behaviour, there is no equation in which both tangible and intangible constituents are statistically significant predictors. The two predictors, Tangible and Intangible constituents, have a low explanatory power of the four behaviours toward the urban tourist destination, which ranges from 2.8% (MTD) to 12.9% (POL). Even if the explained variabilities are low, such a result could have been expected, bearing in mind that multiple factors impact the individuals’ behaviour related to a tourist destination. Low R² was also obtained in the study by Abubakar and Mavondo (2014), who also used SEM analysis to model customer satisfaction and positive word of mouth on a tourist destination.

In addition to the above, the results related to the influence of age and income, as demographic indicators, on the examined variables can be of importance. The results of the multigroup SEM analysis showed that age and income moderate the relationships between tangible and intangible reputation constituents and the consequent behaviour of tourists, thus leading to acceptance of H₃.

The research showed that the X generation tourists are more under the impression of the tangible aspects of a tourist destination, which motivates them to leave comments in the virtual space. When they are talking with friends, family, and acquaintances, they turn to talking about intangible aspects of a tourist destination. On the other hand, the millennial generation is more under the impression of the intangible aspects of a tourist destination, which motivates them to leave comments in the virtual space.

A valuable insight and implication can be the difference between tourists with different income levels in relation to intentions and behaviour towards urban tourist destinations. Considering that they have lower income when choosing a travelling destination, this category of tourists might not consider the destination’s reputation as much as price affordability, length of stay, and other budget-related aspects. On the other hand, the more respondents with average income are satisfied with intangible constituents, they are more open to giving positive review and recommendation in person they are. Also, it is important to notice that tourists with higher income are more comfortable talking about the destination they visited than talking about how they felt while visiting the destination. At the same time, these respondents are under the influence of intangible constituents when deciding to visit the same destination again. Presumably, if they have a higher income, they can afford to visit the same place again, so their previous experiences at a destination are impactful.

Having in mind the discussed results, several managerial implications can be formulated. For DMO, it is of particular importance that in the strategic process of creating and managing a good reputation of an urban tourist destination, they pay special attention to the management of quality experiences related to the constituents of the reputation, since their perception by tourists will increase the possibility for desired intentions and behaviours. This finding for destination management organisations implies the need to carefully create various interesting content such as festivals, events, entertainment, sightseeing tours, cultural and historical sights, and other activities. Concerning this, the above-mentioned contents should be made as attractive as possible to ensure tourists’ high-quality experiences, which will lead to a good reputation and consequently desired intentions and behaviours. Finally, the DMO should conduct marketing and public relations activities to establish adequate cooperation and quality relations with investors, the local population, tourism service providers, local governments, and all other key stakeholders on which the good reputation of the destination depends. Also, starting from the fact that tourism is an important activity for cities, it can be concluded that the consequent intentions and behaviours of tourists are important, both for urban tourist destinations and for the city itself, and its recognition, positioning on the global market and, consequently, the economy. The results also indicate that DMOs should create targeted marketing strategies for Generation X and Millennials. Gen X is more influenced by tangible aspects when leaving online comments, while Millennials focus on intangible aspects. For Gen X, it is recommended to emphasise tangible elements in online marketing materials, while highlighting intangible experiences for Millennials. The same accounts for the income-based segmentation. DMOs should keep in mind that low-income tourists focus on affordability and value propositions, that average-income tourists emphasise intangible experiences to encourage positive reviews and recommendations. In contrast, high-income tourists highlight both tangible and intangible aspects, with a focus on unique experiences that encourage repeat visits. Also, attention should be given to the online reputation management (Proserpio and Zervas, 2017) and actively manage both tangible and intangible aspects of the destination’s online presence. Additionally, it is advisable to encourage and monitor user-generated content, as well as work on repeat visitor strategies (Campo-Martínez et al, 2010).

The research presented in this paper offers empirical proof of a certain level of causality between identified reputation constituents and future intentions and behaviours. The results confirm the statement of Krstić et al (2016) about the importance of understanding the relationship between tangible and intangible aspects of reputation and consequent behaviour in the development of critical determinants of the travel and tourism sector’s competitiveness.

The relationship between the quality of experiences related to the constituents of reputation and subsequent intentions and behaviours is proven to be influenced by tourists’ demographics - their age and income. The intentions and behaviours of generation X, Y, and Z tourists differ concerning the impact of tangible and intangible constituents of reputation. Findings also confirm the differences between the respondents with low, average, and high incomes.

Given the increasing influence of social media, primarily the information conveyed by user-generated content, it is clear that destination management organisations should pay special attention to this type of reputational benefit for urban tourist destinations. Encouraging tourists to share their positive perception and experiences, especially with intangible reputational constituents of the urban tourist destination such as being safe, interesting, authentic and pleasant via social media will positively affect its competitiveness and attractiveness for other tourists.

The results of the study should be interpreted in light of its limitations. One limitation of the study is the sample. The research was focused solely on one CEE country (the Republic of Serbia) and one city (Belgrade). This approach, analysing only the perceptions of respondents from one city, can be seen in the literature. It includes the cases of Krakow (Kowalczyk-Anioł, 2023), Lisbon (Costa et al, 2020) and others. It would be interesting to conduct a similar study in other cities in Serbia or in the region and explore the differences in tourists’ behaviour and intentions, for example, Cillo et al (2021) observed three Italian destinations.

The second limitation is the specific touristic destination the respondents were answering the questions about. The respondents were asked to assess the tangible and intagible constitutients of the reputation of a destination they have visited and perceived as having a good reputation, while it could also be useful to capture the insights on the repondents’ perception of destinations with bad reputation. Ali et al (2021) did such a study, exploring the destination’s negative e-reputation in Marrakech, Morocco.

Several future directions of the study emerge. One direction would be the segmentation of tourists based on their pattern behaviour related to tangible and intangible aspects of reputation using advanced grouping algorithms of biclustering (Nikolić et al, 2022). Such an approach leads to creating specific, more precisely defined and explained segments, as respondents who behave similarly in relation to a certain subset of behaviour traits are grouped. Another direction could be to simulate the behaviour of tourists based on their perception of reputation constituents. For that, agent-based simulation (ABS) could be applied as shown by Živojinović and Zornić (2022).

Considering the results of the presented study and the managerial implications which derive from it, this study could be a valuable contribution to the tourism marketing and management literature within the CEE region that fills the literature gap detected and can act as an impetus for further research on the topic of tourist destination reputation management.

The data is available on a reasonable request after contacting the corresponding authors.

The introductory section was written by all authors equally. VP and TV performed the literature review and participated in model development. MM developed the hypothesis. VP, TV, and MKS designed the questionnaire, while VP was in charge for the data collection. MM was primarily responsible for the research methodology, data analysis, results presentation and interpretation. The discussion and conclusion were mainly written by MKS with the input of other co-authors. All authors contributed to editorial changes in the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. All authors have participated sufficiently in the work and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

This research received no external funding.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.