Country personality; affective country image; behavioral intentions; behavioral intentions to visit; Portugal; Brazil

The purpose of the current research is to investigate the direct and indirect influence of country personality dimensions on consumer behavioral intentions to visit a specific country, considering affective country image as a mediator. A quota sample of 685 valid respondents from Brazil was analyzed. Portugal was chosen as the stimulus country and the questionnaire was delivered in Portuguese for Brazilians. AMOS 20.0 was employed to examine the proposed model. The predictors of behavioral intentions to visit explain around 67% of its variance. Affective country image is seen a perfect/full mediator between country personality and behavioral intentions to visit. Thus, country personality dimensions have a positive indirect effect on behavioral intentions to visit. Assiduousness and agreeableness show a positive significant influence on affective country image, whereas snobbism shows a significant negative influence. International business marketers should focus on developing marketing strategies emphasizing the distinctive personality of their country destinations. However it is important to keep in mind the higher importance of the emotional components of the country image.