Post-Trip Perception Index
60.3
out of 100
Moderate Perception
Post-trip category scores
Biggest rises post-trip
Wine region as a purchase factor +43.2 pts
Pre: 36.3 → Post: 79.5. The single largest shift in the study. After visiting Valle de Guadalupe, students recognized Baja as a serious wine destination.
Flights & accommodations meet needs +31.1 pts
Pre: 59.8 → Post: 90.9. Highest-scoring item post-trip. Experiencing the logistics firsthand removed pre-trip booking anxiety.
Mountain & valley geography +13.6 pts
Pre: 68.2 → Post: 81.8. Seeing the Valle de Guadalupe landscape in person significantly elevated geographic perceptions.
Biggest drops post-trip
Great authentic local food −32.4 pts
Pre: 77.9 → Post: 45.5. The sharpest drop in the study. Pre-trip expectations were high — the lived experience did not match them.
Restaurant variety for dietary needs −40.1 pts
Pre: 65.1 → Post: 25.0. Lowest-scoring item post-trip. Students found the destination limiting for varied dietary needs.
Rich & authentic cultural offerings −16.6 pts
Pre: 73.4 → Post: 56.8. Culture was the #1 pre-trip motivator — post-trip perceptions softened, suggesting a partial expectation gap.
Pre vs. post-trip — all 27 items
Pre-trip (N=111)
Post-trip (N=11)
+ / − Change
Category-level comparison
Item-level changes
Before & after chart
Category index scores — pre vs. post
Post-trip — all 27 items ranked
All
Strong
Moderate
Needs attention
Key findings
Wine tourism: perception transformed by experience
The wine category had the most dramatic shift in the entire study. Region as a purchase factor jumped +43.2 pts after the trip. This validates the hypothesis that wine is an awareness problem, not a product problem — once travelers experience Valle de Guadalupe, perceptions change completely.
Booking anxiety dissolved in practice
Flights & accommodations post-trip scored 90.9 — the highest item in the study. Pre-trip booking concerns (border crossing, language, logistics) were largely unfounded. Marketing content that features real traveler testimonials and step-by-step trip planning guides could pre-emptively neutralize this friction.
Food: the biggest expectation gap in the study
Food/Culinary dropped from 70.2 to 36.4 — the sharpest category decline. Restaurant variety for dietary needs scored just 25.0 post-trip. Pre-trip expectations were built on a strong reputation for authentic food; the lived experience did not meet that bar, particularly for travelers with specific dietary requirements. This is a critical signal for destination product development.
Culture: strong expectations, softer reality
Culture was the #1 pre-trip motivator statistically (β = .532). Post-trip, cultural offerings dropped from 73.4 to 56.8 and cultural experiences & events fell to 47.7. The destination has genuine cultural assets — the gap may reflect that they are not sufficiently curated or accessible for short FAM-style trips. Programming and itinerary design could close this gap.
Geography holds strong across the experience
Geography remained the top-performing category post-trip (72.2), consistent with pre-trip results. Mountain and valley geography actually improved (+13.6 pts). The landscape is a durable asset that performs at or above expectations.
Sample size caveat
Post-trip data reflects N = 11 students from the JWU FAM trip cohort. Findings are directionally meaningful but should be interpreted alongside the larger pre-trip sample (N = 111). A broader post-visit survey of general travelers would strengthen the before/after comparison significantly.
Post-trip sample profile
Who responded (N = 11)
| Characteristic | Largest group | Share |
|---|
| Age | 18–24 years old | 81.8% |
| Gender | Female | 81.8% |
| Income | $5,000–$25,000 | 45.5% |
| Travel budget | $2,501–$4,000 | 36.4% |
Index = ((Mean − 1) ÷ 4) × 100
Ratings were on a 1–5 Likert scale. Index converts to 0–100. Strong ≥70 • Moderate 55–69 • Needs Attention <55. Gap = 100 − Index. Pre-trip N = 111 (March 2026). Post-trip N = 11 (April 2026).
Johnson & Wales University • Tourism & Hospitality Management • 2026