Don’t Know Option in Destination Image Study: Extending Insights into Cross-Border Travel and Residents

Existing research on destination image has insufficiently advocated the use of a don’t know option in surveys in the context of its measurement. This research demonstrates the application of the don’t know option in cross-border travel to Macao. It further compares the utility of the don’t know option for residents vis-a-vis tourists by destination attributes. For tourists and residents, results show that meeting, incentives, conference, and exhibition participants had the highest percentage of don’t know responses, followed by Macanese cuisine and Buddhism/Taoism. These items also exhibited the lowest mean values, suggesting they are lesser known. This research practically and theoretically confirms the usefulness of the don’t know option in destination image research.