The impact of retro imagery on historic travel intentions

Abstract

Popular travel destinations worldwide are often visited because they are historically significant. As such, many historic locations are promoted using historical imagery. While tourist attractions and travel destinations advertise based on their historical significance, few studies have looked at how the use of history impacts consumer perceptions of the aforementioned travel destinations. This paper examines how retro imagery in visual-based marketing appeals influences consumers’ desire to travel to popular tourist locations. The study reported here utilizes two experiments with a travel destination with a known association with retro imagery and nostalgic advertising.

Keywords

retro marketing nostalgia promotion travel intentions Hawaii

Introduction

While the trend began over two decades ago, marketing is still in the midst of a prolonged “retro revolution” (Brown, 1999, 2018). Retro, meaning there is a solid link to the past and revolution because this fascination has been widespread in its applications and use in marketing (Brown et al., 2003a). Recently, and keeping with the retro theme, there has been a dramatic increase in studies looking at how consumers interact with products that have a tangible connection to the past (Shields and Johnson, 2016). Whether retro, repro, reboots, or reimagining, consumers increasingly turn to these history-laden products to satisfy their needs.

One of the main drivers of all this interest in things from yesteryear, often pointed to by academics and marketers alike, is an increase in feelings of consumer nostalgia (Brown, 1999). Nostalgia is defined here as a consumer's desire for or a favorable attitude toward things from the past (Holbrook and Schindler, 1991; Kessous et al., 2015). Amongst a large subset of consumers, nostalgia is in vogue, and what was old is now back in style. Marketers, always happy to follow consumer trends, are eager to give people all the nostalgic-laden and retro-inspired products they could ask for (Brown, 2018).

Astute marketers in the travel and tourism industry have also taken notice of the nostalgia craze. On its surface, this association between nostalgia and tourism might seem surprising. Consider the original Greek meaning of the word nostalgia; it roughly translates to “a longing for home” or a desire to “return home safely” (Ahlberg et al., 2021: Holak and Havlena, 1992). Despite the apparent contradiction, researchers have routinely looked at nostalgia to explain why tourists visit heritage sites, historic locations, and other destinations that evoke the past (Caton and Santos, 2007). Furthermore, researchers have also looked at how nostalgia maintains the profile and prestige of travel destinations, particularly those prominent locations in movies, television, and other forms of pop culture (Kim et al., 2019). However, despite the known associations between nostalgia and tourism, few studies have looked in-depth at the nostalgia-inducing retro imagery often used as a promotional tool to market travel destinations to potential visitors.

This research examines how retro imagery in visual-based marketing appeals might influence consumers’ desire to travel to popular tourist locations. Specifically, this paper examines how travel locations with known ties to the past (e.g., historically significant locations, monuments, or museums) might use retro imagery to increase consumers’ desire to travel to these destinations. To accomplish this task, this paper utilizes a travel destination with deep associations with retro imagery and nostalgic advertising, the islands of Hawaii (Borgerson and Schroeder, 2014). While examining just one travel destination might be limiting, Hawaii was chosen intentionally as a preliminary case subject because few destinations have such close visual association with the past.

This paper is structured as follows. First, the relevant literature is introduced concerning the concepts of “retro” and “nostalgia,” emphasizing how these concepts can be utilized in a promotional context. In addition, the relevant tourism literature will also be introduced, with a look at the islands of Hawaii and its links to retro and nostalgic advertising. After discussing the relevant literature, the methodology section outlines the two experiments presented in this paper, including the retro images used as manipulations in each experiment and their results. Finally, this paper discusses the implications, limitations, and future research directions.

Literature review

Retro and consumer nostalgia

The term “retro” is defined as the fusion of the old with the new, combining old styling with a modern twist (Brown, 1999; Goulding, 2014). Products, people, places, or promotions are labeled retro when they evoke the past while originating from the present. In other words, retro takes the best aspects of the past and “mixes them with the modern to create a new hybrid form that appeals to contemporary expectations” (Goulding, 2014: pg. 55). Unlike vintage products, which are truly old, or reproductions that are exact copies of products produced in the past, retro products feature classic stylings with updated features and benefits. For example, the 40th-anniversary edition of the Sony Walkman released in 2019 had the same look and feel as the original Walkman but played MP3 s instead of cassette tapes (Phelan, 2019). Similarly, Polaroid introduced a new version of their iconic camera, with an updated look and the new “selfie timer” feature (McAlpine, 2021).

By improving the original design but keeping the original feelings of both brands, the two retro products mentioned above are “brand new, old-fashioned offerings” (Brown et al., 2003b: pg. 20). It is this combination of old-fashion aesthetics with modern sensibilities and performance that truly give retro products their value. It gives consumers a unique way to express themselves in the modern era while giving a sense of security and stability that the past can provide (Cervellon and Brown, 2018). Thus, when utilized correctly, retro presents marketers with a rare opportunity to give consumers something visually distinct without starting completely from scratch (Ahlberg et al., 2021).

Today, marketers are routinely looking to yesteryear for guidance. Retro has gone mainstream (Goulding, 2014). Everything from promotional campaigns (Brown, 2001a; Muehling and Pascal, 2011), product designs (Brown, 2013), product packaging (Brown, 2001b), and servicescapes (Costa and Bamossy, 2014; Hamilton and Wagner, 2014) are tinted with the retro-styled rose-colored glasses of the past (Brown, 2000). One of the main factors driving the development of retro offerings and retro products is consumer nostalgia (Brown, 2018). Nostalgia, or a desire for things from the past, was once thought to be a disease in need of curing and something to be avoided at all costs (Ahlberg et al., 2021). Today, nostalgia has evolved and emerged as a concept of interest, capturing the minds of consumers and marketers alike (Holbrook and Schindler, 1991).

The interest from marketers in retro products and consumer nostalgia is undoubtedly warranted, with the connection between the two concepts being well established in the literature. Feelings of nostalgia and retro offerings are “conceptually intertwined,” where retro is often seen as the solution to consumers’ nostalgic cravings (Ahlberg et al., 2021). If consumers believe that things were better in the past or have a longing to return to that past, marketers would be foolish not to offer them products reminiscent of the past (Brown, 2001b). Additionally, while other offerings besides retro products exist that might satisfy the consumer's craving for the past (i.e., vintage products, reproductions, or reboots), these offerings can be expensive, outdated, and even physically or financially risky for consumers (Cervellon et al., 2012). Thus, if a consumer feels nostalgic and desires to connect with the past, something retro is often the most economical, efficient, and safest solution to their nostalgia problem.

Research indicates that there are different types of nostalgia that consumers can feel at any point (Holak and Havlena, 1992). One type of nostalgia is collective nostalgia (also referred to as historical nostalgia). Collective nostalgia develops through shared cultural memories and is triggered by external stimuli in the consumers’ environment (Brown, 2013). Research indicates that collective nostalgia can influence consumer behavior and is sometimes stronger than personal nostalgia. Consumers with no personal memories, attachment, or recollection of a product might feel its pull (Shi et al., 2021). Consumers born long after a product or brand was discontinued can develop strong feelings of nostalgia and affection for objects from the distant past (Brown, 2001b; Kim et al., 2019). The power of nostalgia is so strong that it can influence those who have no direct experience with a product, helping to fuel retro resurrection movements that bring back long-lost brands from the brink of extinction (Brown and Maclaran, 2003; Gilal et al., 2020).

Travel, tourism, and nostalgia

The travel and tourism industry is no exception to marketing's current “nostalgia boom” (Brown et al., 2003b). Research indicates that nostalgia significantly affects travel intentions and can help explain why tourists select the locations they choose to visit (Brown et al., 2013; Leong et al., 2015). Museums, heritage sites, historical buildings, and other nostalgia-inducing destinations are often “go-to” travel sites for people planning their next vacation (Shi et al., 2021). Additionally, some famous travel destinations are designed to induce nostalgia in guests, even if the nostalgia they are selling never truly existed in the first place. Disney's famous “Main Street USA” is a classic example of this, playing off visitors’ desire to return to a small-town Americana that never existed (Brown, 1999). Of course, even manufactured nostalgia can have its own history, as Disney Worlds’ recent 50th-anniversary celebration can attest. Consumers and tourists alike cannot get enough nostalgia, as people continue to express a desire to visit any and all nostalgic inducing attractions, locations, and retroscapes (Costa and Bamossy, 2014; Goulding, 2014; Hamilton and Wagner, 2014).

While marketing a location's historical significance is not a new phenomenon (Goulding, 2014), marketers are continually looking to the past to induce and take advantage of visitors’ feelings of nostalgia. This is not surprising, as many travel locations market themselves as being culturally and historically significant (Caton and Santos, 2007). Tourist destinations are unique; they “are not only physical spaces, but fluid, changeable, dynamic contexts of social interaction, shared cultural meaning and collective memory” (Lichrou et al., 2008: 32). Tourist destinations are often promoted as having a symbolic meaning that separates them from everyday locations. This cultural meaning and collective memory give tourist destinations value to consumers and marketers alike. Additionally, this collective memory makes tourist destinations personally and historically nostalgic for many visitors (Shi et al., 2021). Marketers can then exploit the consumer's feelings of personal and collective nostalgia to promote historic travel destinations efficiently.

Because of the connection between tourist destinations and nostalgia, marketers of travel locations are increasingly looking at how they might capitalize on the nostalgia-inducing effects of their products to attract travelers. Travel destinations can utilize nostalgia to attract customers by using retro imagery as a visual-based marketing appeal as part of their overall promotional campaigns. A destination's image and the consumer's perception of that imagery significantly affect consumers’ travel intentions (Maghrifani et al., 2021). Thus, if marketers do an adequate job of promoting their destinations and shaping how they are branded, it can positively affect how consumers perceive those destinations and enhance travel intentions (Park et al., 2013). Research indicates that using promotional material that produces positive feelings about the past (i.e., nostalgic ads) leads to favorable outcomes (Singh et al., 2021). By using nostalgia-inducing photographs, paintings, or other culturally historic symbols depicting the past, marketers can develop advertisements and other promotional messages designed to attract modern travelers and communicate to consumers the symbolic attributes of the destination (Brown, 1999).

For example, a travel destination that utilizes the past and nostalgia-inducing imagery heavily in its promotional campaigns are the islands of Hawaii. For over a century, the islands of Hawaii have been marketed as a “primitive paradise,” a retro dreamland comparable to the biblical Garden of Eden (Goss, 1993; Schroeder and Borgerson, 2008; Tate-Libby, 2010). While marketing “primitive” and “paradise” on the surface appear to be at odds with each other, especially given our fascination with all things “new and improved” (Brown et al., 2000), Hawaii has successfully blended the two by carefully crafted promotional campaigns that induce nostalgic memories in each viewer. This approach to promoting the islands of Hawaii as “paradise” is not surprising. As Borgerson and Schroeder (2014) put it, “paradise has enjoyed high brand equity for as long as humans can remember” (pg. 219).

In addition to the “paradise” theming and taglines, lots of promotional material for the islands of Hawaii features nostalgia-inducing imagery. Typically, this includes images of culturally significant events (i.e., hula dancers or luau's) or symbolic imagery (i.e., surfboards or Hawaiian leis) along with taglines reinforcing the islands as a tropical paradise (Goss, 1993). Hawaii's renowned beaches, landscapes, flora, and fauna are also prominent in their promotional campaigns and further reinforce that Hawaii is unique, unlike any place on earth. Hawaii's promotional imagery creates a rosy view of the islands, positively influencing consumers’ perceptions before even stepping on a plane (Mitchell et al., 1997).

The images utilized are reminiscent of a previous era, often retro or vintage by design, making the islands appear almost primitive compared to the modern world (Costa, 1998). It is almost as if visiting the islands will transport you back in time, to a place that is far removed from all the problems facing the modern world. In many ways, Hawaii is presented as a rich land ready for conquest, still reminiscent of how the islands looked when they were “discovered” by Captain James Cook back in the 1700s when he landed at Kealekoua Bay (Goss, 1993). Of course, as the promotional materials make clear with their use of waterfalls and other exotic tropical imagery, that is only true if the consumer is bold enough to take the plunge and see the islands for themselves (Schroeder and Borgerson, 2008).

It is essential to point out that this presentation is just a fantasy, often perpetrated to appeal to western tourists (Borgerson and Schroeder, 2014). Most images and promotions from Hawaii's past are designed to specifically appeal to a western and predominately white audience (Goss, 1993). What is perceived as “retro” in these promotions is an idealized version of the past, ignoring the oppressive parts of Hawaii's history in ways that do not reflect reality. While many consumers prefer an authentic experience (Andrade et al., 2021), some still prefer the inauthentic fantasy of traditional promotions (Brown et al., 2021).

In addition to the traditional forms of promotion, the mental image of Hawaii as a retro paradise is also shaped through a variety of other products taken from or inspired by the islands over the years (Mamiya, 1992). “Traditional” Hawaiian music and colorful album covers, for example, have shaped consumers’ perceptions of the islands for decades (Borgerson and Schroeder, 2014; Connell and Gibson, 2008). Since its rise in popularity in the mid-nineteenth century, Hawaiian music has done an excellent job of providing the average consumer a chance to travel to paradise without leaving the comfort of their own homes. This mental transportation occurred, even though the music on these albums was not always authentic Hawaiian music and, in many cases, was often performed by white musicians (Schroeder and Borgerson, 2008).

However, suppose consumers decide to visit the islands. In that case, the sights and sounds from these albums give consumers a good idea of what to expect on their journey, shaping their perceptions of the islands before they even decide to visit (Mitchell et al., 1997). It should not be surprising then that major airline companies, such as Pan Am and Continental, produced and distributed many classic Hawaiian albums to promote their trans-oceanic routes (Connell and Gibson, 2008). This approach of using retro imagery appears to be working for the islands of Hawaii, even though many of the images and experiences marketed are not truly “authentic” to the islands (Andrade et al., 2021; Schroeder and Borgerson, 2008).

Research method

This research examines retro imagery in visual-based marketing appeals and compares it to more current travel promotions. This research suggests retro imagery can induce stronger travel intentions than contemporary promotional methods. Specifically, this research proposes that retro imagery causes consumers to desire nostalgic offerings and experiences, influencing consumer perceptions of the travel destinations and increasing the consumer's desire to travel to historical locations. This effect should only occur with retro imagery and should lead to stronger desires to travel than showing consumers equivalent modern images of that exact travel location. Thus, this research attempts to show that using retro imagery as a visual-based marketing appeal in promotional campaigns for travel destinations can provide marketers and consumers with additional benefits that modern imagery campaigns do not offer.

In study 1, the goal is to demonstrate how retro travel imagery (vs. modern travel imagery) influences the consumer's desire for nostalgic offerings. In study 2, researchers will attempt to replicate study 1 using a different sample and different retro images. Additionally, study 2 will also try to extend the first study's findings by demonstrating how retro travel imagery (vs. modern travel imagery)might increase consumers’ desire to travel to historical locations. To limit and control for the effects of location across experiments, both studies utilize the islands of Hawaii as the focal destination of interest.

Description of study 1

Study 1 is a preliminary study that manipulates the promotional imagery of a well-known travel destination (i.e., Hawaii) to test the effect of that imagery on participants’ desire for nostalgic experiences.

Procedure

One hundred and fifty-three panelists (male = 69, female = 80, and other = 4; M_age = 35.13, SD_age = 12.675) from Prolific.co participated in a single-level (promotional travel imagery: modern vs. retro) between-subjects study with the consumers desire for objects that evoke the past (i.e., nostalgic offerings) as the dependent measure. After agreeing to participate in the study, participants were first assigned to examine one of two travel posters promoting Hawaii as a tourist destination. In the retro condition, participants viewed a vintage art print of Waikiki Beaches’ iconic skyline. Participants viewed that same Waikiki Beach skyline in the modern condition but instead looked at a modern-day picture (See Figure 1). While examining the travel posters, participants were prompted to “think about how the poster makes you feel” and to “think about the travel destination depicted in that poster.”

Figure 1.

Images used in study 1.

After examining the travel posters, participants rated two seven-point Likert-type items as a manipulation check of the modern vs. retro manipulation (“The poster has a vintage style” and “The poster is trying to depict an earlier time”). Participants then responded to three seven-point Likert-type items designed to measure an individual's overall desire for things and experiences that are nostalgic and evoke the past (“I am more attracted to old things than new ones,” “I buy old things because they have a history,” and “I like old things because they evoke the past;” α = .845).

Finally, before concluding the study, participants responded to three additional control measures before answering some demographic items and ending the procedure. First, to control for any perceived differences in beauty or pleasantness, participants responded to four seven-point Likert-type items designed to measure the travel poster's overall aesthetic appeal (“beauty,” “pretty,” “artistic,” and “aesthetically pleasing,” α = .871, Wu et al., 2017). Second, to control for any perceived differences in authenticity, participants responded to four Likert-type items designed to measure the travel posters’ overall perceived authenticity (“The poster is genuine,” “The poster is real,” “The poster is original,” “I think the poster is authentic,” α = .884, Fuchs et al., 2015). Lastly, to control for any differences in participants’ overall attitudes toward Hawaii, participants responded to four semantic-differential items designed to measure an individual's general attitude toward Hawaii as a travel destination (“positive/negative,” “good/bad,” “pleasant/unpleasant,” and “favorable/unfavorable,” α = .955, Hagtvedt, 2011).

Results

Manipulation Check and Controls. The results confirmed that the manipulation was successful. Participants in the retro travel poster condition (M = 5.11, SD = 1.34) perceived that the poster was more retro than participants in the modern condition (M = 3.50, SD = 1.65; t(151) = 6.639, p < .001). Additionally, there was no significant difference between conditions when it came to the aesthetic appeal of the travel poster (Mretro = 5.64 vs. Mmodern = 5.43, t(151) = 1.203, p = .23), authenticity of the travel poster (Mretro = 4.89 vs. Mmodern = 4.89, t(151) = 0.21, p = .98), and general attitude toward Hawaii as a travel destination (Mretro = 6.01 vs. Mmodern = 6.32, t(151) = −1.662, p = .10).

The main effect on participants’ desire for objects that are nostalgic and evoke the past. Researchers predicted that participants in the retro condition would demonstrate a stronger desire for objects that evoke the past (i.e., nostalgic offerings) than participants in the modern condition. The results of an independent samples t-test confirmed this prediction, as participants in the retro condition (M = 4.67, SD = 1.32) demonstrated a greater desire for nostalgic offerings than participants in the modern condition (M = 3.96, SD = 1.33; t(151) = 3.306, p < 0.001).

Discussion of study 1

Study 1 confirms that participants who view a retro travel promotion exhibit a stronger desire for nostalgic products and offerings than those who view a modern travel promotion. Thus, this finding indicates that retro travel images are more likely to elicit desires for nostalgic offerings than the modern equivalent. However, the results of Study 1 do not demonstrate how the increase in desire for nostalgic offerings increases consumers’ willingness to travel to a particular destination. Additionally, Study 1 used a painting in the retro condition and a photograph in the modern condition. Thus, it is possible that the effects were due to differences in how consumers perceive paintings and photographs and not because of perceptions of retro imagery. The following study attempts to remedy these issues.

Description of study 2

Study 2 builds upon the results of Study 1. Specifically, the goal is to show how retro imagery can increase the desire to engage in historic travel by increasing the consumers’ desire to connect with experiences that evoke the past and nostalgic offerings or feelings.

Procedure

One hundred and twenty-seven panelists (male = 51, female = 75, and other = 1; M_age = 32.69, SD_age = 12.373) from Prolific.co participated in a single-level (promotional travel imagery: modern vs. retro) between-subjects study with historic travel intentions as the dependent measure and the consumers desire for nostalgic offerings as the mediator. After agreeing to participate in the study, participants were first assigned to examine one of two travel campaigns promoting Hawaii as a tourist destination. The campaigns included two promotional images and two short vignettes describing Hawaii. In the retro condition, participants viewed the same vintage art print of Waikiki Beaches utilized in Study 1 in addition to a photograph of the Beach from 1890. In the modern condition, participants viewed the same picture of the Waikiki Beach skyline utilized in Study 1 and another current photo of the beach from 2018 (See Figure 2). The vignettes accompanying the travel images were identical across conditions.

Figure 2.

Images used in study 2.

After examining the travel posters, participants rated two seven-point Likert-type items as a manipulation check of the modern vs. retro manipulation (“The images depict an earlier time.” and “The images are from another era”). Participants then responded to the same three seven-point Likert-type items designed to measure an individual's desire for things that evoke the past (i.e., nostalgic offerings) utilized in the previous study (α = .847). Additionally, participants completed the same control measures for authenticity (α = .792) and general attitude toward Hawaii (α = .974) utilized in the previous study. Finally, participants responded to three seven-point Likert-type items designed to measure an individual's desire to engage in historic travel (“When I travel, I prefer to visit destinations that have a lot of ancient attractions,” “When I travel, I like to visit locations that are historically significance,” and “When I travel, I like to visit places that remind me of the past;” α = .867) before answering some demographic items and concluding the study.

Results

Manipulation Check and Controls. The results confirmed that the manipulation was successful. Participants in the retro travel images condition (M = 5.46, SD = 1.39) perceived that the images were more retro than participants in the modern condition (M = 3.17, SD = 1.73; t(125) = 8.26, p < .001). Additionally, there was no significant difference between conditions when it came to the perceived authenticity of the travel images (Mretro = 5.29 vs. Mmodern = 4.96, t(125) = 1.565, p = .12), and general attitude toward Hawaii as a travel destination (Mretro = 6.04 vs. Mmodern = 6.20, t(125) = −.776, p = .44).

Historic Travel. Researchers predicted that participants in the retro condition would demonstrate a stronger desire to engage in historic travel than participants in the modern condition. The results of an independent samples t-test confirmed this prediction, as participants in the retro condition (M = 4.99, SD = 1.41) demonstrated a greater desire for historic travel than participants in the modern condition (M = 4.50, SD = 1.23; t(125) = 2.095, p < 0.05).

Mediation Analysis. Finally, researchers conducted a mediation analysis using 10000 bootstrapped samples (Hayes, 2017; PROCESS SPSS macro; model 4) with travel image type (retro vs. modern) as an independent variable, historic travel as a dependent variable, and desire for nostalgic objects that evoke the past as the mediator. The results revealed a significant indirect effect (β = .3020, SE = .14, 95% CI: .0461, .5920). Thus, the analysis results confirmed that participants have a strong desire to engage in historic travel because the retro travel imagery stimulates a desire for nostalgic experiences that evoke the past.

Discussion of study 2

The result of Study 2 provides further support that retro travel imagery can stimulate the desire for nostalgic offerings that evoke another time. In addition to replicating Study 1, this study also showed the mediating process through which the desire for nostalgic offerings increases the participant's willingness to visit and engage in historical travel. Taken together, the result of both studies indicate that retro travel imagery has an important effect on how consumers perceive the depicted destinations.

General discussion

This research reveals that using retro imagery in a visual-based marketing promotional campaign positively influences a consumer's desire to travel to popular tourist locations with perceived historical significance. In two experiments, this paper shows that retro promotional imagery increases the consumer's desire for nostalgic offerings, leading to a stronger desire to travel to historical locations. In other words, retro imagery stimulates the consumer's appetite for products that epitomize the past. Traveling to nostalgia-inducing places is a viable way to satisfy the consumers’ desire for nostalgic offerings. Several theoretical and practical implications emerged from these findings.

Theoretical implications

The findings of this research contribute to the tourism marketing literature by extending the use of retro imagery into a new marketing domain. Most retro-based marketing efforts have been used to develop and promote physical products and services (Brown, 1999). This research extends retro-based marketing to include the promotion of places and travel destinations.

This investigation also offers a unique perspective on the role of nostalgia in the travel and tourism domain. Previously, research has looked at nostalgia to explain why consumers choose their destinations (Leong et al., 2015). This assumes that consumers have nostalgic feelings for specific travel destinations, or they do not. This research, however, looks at how retro imagery can stimulate consumers’ feelings of nostalgia, increasing their desire to travel to historical locations. Thus, this research shows the value of nostalgia as a tool in travel and tourism.

Additionally, this research demonstrated a unique perspective on the value of history in tourism research. While it has long been known that consumers enjoy traveling to historical locations (Caton and Santos, 2007), this research shows that history can be leveraged for promotional purposes.

Practical implications

The results suggest that using retro travel imagery in visual-based marketing appeals positively impacts a potential traveler's desire for nostalgic products and thus can be used successfully in promotional efforts. Since the consumer's perception of a destination significantly affects consumer travel intentions (Maghrifani et al., 2021), travel marketers should incorporate the power of nostalgia to evoke the positive appeal of experiences from the past. Thus, where appropriate, travel marketers should consider a consistent message of a destination as being “historically significant” by utilizing a consistent retro theme and vintage images in their marketing communications. This includes using old photographs or other forms of retro imagery that can help marketers communicate a location's historical significance and nostalgic appeal.

Retro or vintage imagery could be helpful to appeal to potential visitors to tourist destinations, such as historic districts in a community, battlefields, and other cultural attractions or natural geographical landscapes. Generally, vacation destinations experience intense competition for visitors. Marketers must look for unique ways to position and communicate the value of vacation destinations to consumers (Ono et al., 2020). Beautiful scenery, whether it be beaches or mountains, is often not enough of a sustainable competitive advantage to be effective in attracting visitors. Multiple competitors can present beautiful beaches and decor as well. Destination promoters must go beyond sight and develop an emotional connection with the consumer. This can be accomplished by relying on retro imagery. This study demonstrates that retro stimuli, which are genuine and authentic, can produce vivid and sustainable appeals. The retro theme should be unique to the heritage and history of that location and not inspire a generic demand for a vacation. Additionally, this type of imagery may be obtained from archives, libraries, or other sources readily available to the marketer of these destinations and may even be in the public domain.

A promotional failure will result if the visitors’ experiences do not match their expectations. The promotional message must stay true to and faithful to the destination's heritage and people to maintain the emotional essence. Regarding media, destination marketers should not neglect social media when utilizing a retro-imagery appeal. Research has shown that nostalgia marketing can be used effectively on social media (Youn and Jin, 2017).

Limitations and future research

Despite the positive results, this research has several limitations. First, this study focused on one travel location, the islands of Hawaii. While this was done intentionally to control for the effects of location across experiments, the islands of Hawaii themselves are unique as a travel location. In addition to being marketed heavily as paradise on earth, Hawaii's promotional campaigns utilize nostalgia and nostalgia-inducing imagery to attract potential tourists. Furthermore, Hawaii might be uniquely suited to attract individuals with a strong desire to escape the demands of modern life and return to a simpler time. It is possible that the results observed in this study might not translate to other travel locations that do not rely already rely on nostalgia in their promotional campaigns. Future research should also answer questions related to the use of retro imagery and whether it works better for established destinations or those destinations whose heritage and the retro image are less known and stereotypical. Additionally, future research should determine if using retro reinforces established stereotypes and makes them effective or if it adds additional dimensions to already established locations. Further study should increase the generalizability of the findings presented in this paper by examining other travel locations and seeing if the results observed in this study generalize to other sites.

Second, this study did not include any studies utilizing real travel promotions. Researchers chose to develop fictional promotional materials to control for any differences that might occur between conditions. However, while the researchers are confident in the validity of their findings, it is possible that the results observed in this study might not translate to the same extent if real visual-based marketing promotions were used instead of those developed by the researchers. Future research should utilize real travel promotions and see if the results observed in this study translate.

Third, this study only looked at one type of marketing promotion, visual-based retro imagery. While static imagery is a common form of promotion utilized in the travel and tourism domain, other forms and elements of promotional strategy might also influence consumer perceptions of travel locations. Future research could examine the impact of different forms of media and their effectiveness. For example, future research could look at the effects of various media, such as the differences between retro audio v. visual promotions. Building off the promotional effects that Hawaiian music has played over the years, future research could look at the impact of retro music on travel intentions. What impact does traditional/retro music usage vs. modern music have on travelers’ preferences? One might also look at various types of visual media (e.g., retro film clips v. current movie clips) and their impact.

Fourth, this research only utilized images that depicted the travel destination (i.e., Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head) and no other tourism components associated with that destination, such as activities related to the destination's culture. For example, this study did not use any pictures of hula dancers or surfers, even though these activities are synonymous with the islands of Hawaii. Images of retro cultural activities might lead to different effects on potential travelers. Future research might examine the impact of using retro culture images to determine if the results are similar.

Finally, future research should look more closely at how retro promotional imagery affects other variables besides travel intentions. For example, how does the usage of retro imagery impact subsequent or repeat visitation? Does the use of retro imagery have a different impact on first-time visitors vs. revisitation? Because of personal nostalgia (instead of just historical nostalgia), retro imagery may significantly affect repeat visitors with some experience with a travel destination than it does first-time visitors. Regardless, the effects of retro imagery and other forms of retro promotional material deserve more attention and further examination in the travel and tourism domain.

Footnotes

Declaration of conflicting interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding

The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

ORCID iD

Aaron J. Schibik

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