Analyzing the effect of brand equity of a tourism destination on the loyalty of its tourists with the mediating role of Brand experience: the Case study of Sarein city

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Department of Tourism Planning, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Geography, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran

3 Department of Political Geography, Imam Ali University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

A B S T R A C T
Branding a place is not the end of the road, and branding a destination is effective as long as it has a high brand equity With the view that knowledge of the characteristics of the destination, the image created in the tourist's mind and the quality perceived by the traveler, determines the tourist experience and ultimately, by motivating him to make a decision, determines the tourist's return to the destination, The research aims to evaluate the effect of brand equity of Sarein tourism destination by considering the mediating role of brand experience on tourist loyalty.
The present research is applied in terms of purpose and survey in terms of descriptive method; Data were collected in the form of library and field based on questionnaire tools and the collected data were analyzed in SPSS25 and Smart-PLS software. The Finding showed that the brand equity of Sarein tourism city is effective on the mental, emotional and behavioral experiences of tourists and the mental, emotional and behavioral experiences of tourists also positively and significantly affect their loyalty; What should not be hidden from the managers, planners and stakeholders in the study area in general is that providing services and facilities to tourists, although necessary, is not enough and meeting their emotional, behavioral and mental needs is also required. destination managers should strengthen the brand of their destination brand, and promote the experience of tourists to show the loyalty of tourists. destination managers should strengthen the special value of their destination brand, and promote the experience of tourists in order to show the loyalty of tourists. In the end, in accordance with the research findings, suggestions were made to strengthen the brand equity and loyalty of destination tourists
Extended Abstract
Introduction
As for the importance of brand equity, it is enough that if a brand has a high special value, the customer will choose it more willingly, pay more, repeat its purchase and remain loyal to the product, and even Brings word-of-mouth development to the brand. One of the destinations that has always been considered by people and those involved in the tourism industry in the field of tourism is urban destinations; One of the cities of the country that has reached an acceptable reputation in the country and especially in the region with many attractions and in the framework of branding is Sarein city of Ardabil province; Avoidance of research conducted in the field of branding of urban destinations shows that although in the last decade, research conducted in this field shows an acceptable figure, but the percentage of research that has made the destination of Sarein its research base Are not so impressive; By accepting the undeniable impact of Sarein city brand on its tourism development, the role of brand equity on brand development and survival of this city, the importance and necessity of addressing brand equity in the study area is determined; The importance of this issue is doubled when we know that the analysis of the impact of the brand equity of Sarein on tourist loyalty, considering the role of brand experience, has not been any research; research questions can be asked as follows:
The brand equiy of Sarein tourism destination has a positive and significant effect on the mental experience of its tourists;
The brand equiy of Sarein tourism destination has a positive and significant effect on the emotional experience of its tourists;
The brand equiy of Sarein tourism destination has a positive and significant effect on the behavioral experience of its tourists;
The mental experience of tourists in Sarein city has a positive and significant effect on their loyalty;
The emotional experience of tourists in Sarein city has a positive and significant effect on their loyalty;
Behavioral experience of tourists in Sarein city has a positive and significant effect on their loyalty;
 
Methodology
this research is applied and descriptive survey; The statistical population of the present study is the tourists of Sarein city and in consultation with the professors, the number of statistical samples was 250. The completion of theoretical studies and the beginning of survey research studies coincided with the beginning of a new corona wave and the researcher inevitably collected field research information using an online questionnaire; The reliability of the research instrument has been confirmed to the desired level by Cronbach's coefficient and its validity has been confirmed by the experts; Analysis of data after coding was performed in SPSS25 and Smart-PLS2 software environment.
 
Results and discussion
The first hypothesis is confirmed according to the path coefficient of 0.515 and the value of T = 8.494 and it can be concluded that the brand equity of the of Sarein tourism destination has a positive and significant effect on the mental experience of its tourists; Also, the second hypothesis based on the effective role of the brand equity of Sarein city on the emotional experience of its tourists is confirmed according to the coefficient of 0.671 and the value of T = 9.819. The value of T = 12.463 and the obtained path coefficient (= 0.641) for the third hypothesis also show the confirmation of this hypothesis and it can be concluded with high confidence that the brand equity in Sarein tourism destination has a positive and significant effect on behavioral experience of Its tourists. The results for the existing hypotheses regarding the tangible effect of tourists' brand experience on their loyalty show a similar situation and show the confirmation of the fourth to sixth hypotheses of the research; In other words, the obtained T value  for the fourth hypothesis of the research with a coefficient of 0.550 shows that the mental experience of tourists on their loyalty to the destination is positive and significant. The fifth and sixth hypotheses are confirmed with the coefficients and thus the effect of emotional and behavioral experiences of tourists in Sarein city on their loyalty is confirmed.
 
Conclusion
Findings showed that the Brand equity of Sarein tourism destination affects their loyalty by affecting the brand experience of tourists; tourists gain experience when they choose the study area for recreation, health care, hiking or leisure; Findings of the study indicate that it is obvious that tourism professionals in Sarein city should meet the expectations of tourists as much as possible in order to improve the quality of their experience by gaining satisfaction. If the events of the destination do not meet the expectations of the tourist and his experience only turns into bad memories, the tourist will probably not have an incentive to return; If the experience gained by the tourist at the destination is evaluated positively by him, it will lead to the preparations for his loyalty and return to the destination; An event that is likely to act as a catalyst, causing the destination to accelerate more steadily.
 
unding
There is no funding support.
 
Authors’ Contribution
Authors contributed equally to the conceptualization and writing of the article. All of the authors approved thecontent of the manuscript and agreed on all aspects of the work declaration of competing interest none.
 
Conflict of Interest
Authors declared no conflict of interest.
 
Acknowledgments
 We are grateful to all the scientific consultants of this paper.

Keywords

References

  1. Abbasi, H. (2015). Designing the commercialization model of university research with partial least squares structural equation modeling method (SEM-PLS). Commercial Research Quarterly, 82, 33-65. Doi: 20.1001.1.17350794.1396.21.82.2.6 (In Persian)
  2. Alipour, V., Niromand, M., & Mansoori, A. (2015). Investigating the impact of tourism destination brand experience on tourists' behavioral tendencies; The case study of Ardabil province. the fifth international conference on modern researches in management, economics and accounting, Academy of Sciences and Studies of Georgia. (In Persian)
  3. Amu Ali, H. (2015). Analyzing the role of tourism destination brand equity components on loyalty according to the role of foreign tourists' experience; case: Isfahan as a tourism brand in 2015. Msc thesis, of Dr. Zahra Yavari, Sheikh Bahai University. (In Persian)
  4. Andreini, D. Pedeliento, G., Zarantonello, L., & Solerio, C. (2019). Reprint of" A renaissance of brand experience: Advancing the concept through a multi-perspective analysis". Journal of Business Research, 96, 355-365.‌ Doi: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.05.047
  5. Bakhshi, F., & Roshan, S. A. Q. (2015). Investigating the effect of customer satisfaction on brand equity with the mediation of the variable of customer trust in the brand in the food industry of Astan Razavi. Business Review, 14(78), 97-85. Doi: 20.1001.1.26767562.1395.14.78.7.8 (In Persian)
  6. Barnes, S. J. Mattsson, J. & Sorensen, F. (2014). Destination brand experience and visitor behaviour: Testing a scale in tourism context. Annals of Tourism Research, 54, 121–132. Doi: 10.1016/j.annals.2014.06.002
  7. Barnes, S.J., Mattsson, J., & Sørensen, F.B. (2014). Destination brand experience and visitor behavior: Testing a scale in the tourism context. Tourism Research, 48, 121-139.Doi: 10.1016/j.annals.2014.06.002
  8. Behari, J., Farahani, B., Bahari, S., Badhaleh, M., & Bahari, H. (2016). Evaluation of brand value in tourism destination from the point of view of domestic tourists (case: Tabriz city). Tourism Space, 6 (24), 73-100. (In Persian)
  9. Bitterman, A. A. (2008). Brandtopia: A critical consideration of the evolution and future of place branding. (published PHD Thesis), University of New York, American Studies.
  10. Boo, S. (2006). Multidimensional model of destination brands: an application of Customer-based brand equity.‌ (published PHD Thesis). Kyounggi University. Doi: 10.25669/jhtu-aaym
  11. Cave, J., & Jolliffe, L. (2012) Urban Tourism. Tourism: The Key Concepts. Robinson, P. (Ed.) London: Routledge. pp 268-270.
  12. Chang, C. F. (2008). Effect of destination branding on tourists' attitudes toward Tamshui, Taiwan. (published PHD Thesis), Lynn University.
  13. Chen, Y.C., King, B. & Lee, H. W. (2018). Experiencing the destination brand: Behavioral intentions of arts festival tourists. Destination Marketing & Management, (12), 61-67. Doi: 10.1016/j.jdmm.2018.06.004
  14. Chow, H. W., Ling, G. J., Yen, I. Y., & Hwang, K. P. (2017). Building brand equity through industrial tourism. Asia Pacific Management Review, 22(2), 70-79.‌ Doi: 10.1016/j.apmrv.2016.09.001
  15. Delawar, A. (2000). Research methods in educational sciences and psychology. second edition, Tehran: Payam Noor University Press. (In Persian)
  16. Ebrahimi, H. (2015). Identifying and prioritizing factors affecting the brand reputation of Masal city. Master's thesis in Geography, under the guidance of Dr. Mohammad Doustdar, Gilan University. (In Persian)
  17. Farjam, S., Nasaji, K. S., & Bardbar, Z. (2017). Investigating the impact of destination brand equity on tourists' loyalty to Shiraz tourism area, Journal of Tourism and Development, 7 (3), 107-126. Doi: 10.22034/JTD.2018.81142 (In Persian)
  18. Ghafourian, A., & Shirvani, M. S. (2020). Investigating the effect of culture on brand loyalty through the mediating role of brand performance and brand personality, case study: five-star hotels in Mashhad. Tourism Space, 10 (40), 47-64. Doi: 20.1001.1.22518827.1400.10.40.4.2 (In Persian)
  19. Gomez, M., Lopez, C., & Molina, A. (2015). A model of tourism destination brand equity: The case of wine tourism destinations in Spain.  Tourism Management, 51, 210-222.‌ Doi: 10.1016/j.tourman.2015.05.019
  20. Hyun, M. Y., & Kim, H. C. (2019). Refinement and Validation of a Multidimensional Destination Brand Equity Scale for Inbound and Outbound Chinese Travelers: A Cross-National Perspective. Journal of Travel Research, 0047287519888296.‌ Doi: 10.1177/00472875198882
  21. Jalali, M. (2015). Destination branding and its effect on satisfaction and loyalty in sports tourism industry. Master's thesis, under the guidance of Dr. Mohammad Baqer Mursal, Islamic Azad University of Shahrood. (In Persian)
  22. Jalali, Sd M., Taherikia, F., Ataf, Z., & Ghasemi, H. (2019). Modeling the effect of brand nostalgia on loyalty in tourist travel decision. Journal of Tourism Management Studies, 16(54), 374-351. Doi: 10.22054/tms.2021.12796 (In Persian)
  23. Jung, K. (2014). An Exploratory Study of Destination Branding For The State Of Oklahama. (published Master Thesis), University of Nevada, Nevada, Las Vegas.
  24. Kashif, M., Samsi, S. Z. M., & Sarifuddin, S. (2015). Brand equity of Lahore Fort as a tourism destination brand. Revista de Administração de Empresas, 55(4), 432-443.‌ Doi: 10.1590/S0034-759020150407
  25. Konecnik, M., & Gartner, W. (2007). Customer-based brand equity for a destination. Annals of tourism research, 34(2),400-421.‌ Doi: 10.1016/j.annals.2006.10.005
  26. Kotler, P., & Pfoertsch, W. (2010). Ingredient Branding: Making the Invisible Visible. Doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-04214-0
  27. Kotsi, F., Pike, S., & Gottlieb, U. (2018). Consumer-based brand equity (CBBE) in the context of an international stopover destination: Perceptions of Dubai in France and Australia. Tourism Management, 69, 297-306.‌ Doi: 10.1016/j.tourman.2018.06.019
  28. KozeGarkalji, L., Aghaei, P., Murad, D., & Mohammadi, H. (2019). Brand Equity of Tourist Destinations in Border Cities, An Approach to Tourist Loyalty. Tourism and Development, 9(4), 138-125. Doi: 10.22034/JTD.2020.220811.1974 (In Persian)
  29. Kruger, L. M. (2018). Brand loyalty: Exploring self-brand connection and brand experience. Journal of Product & Brand Management. Doi: 10.1108/JPBM-07-2016-1281
  30. Liu, Zhihong & Huang, Songshan & Liang, Shangyan. (2019). Does Brand Personification Matter in Consuming Tourism Real Estate Products? A Perspective on Brand Personality, Self-congruity and Brand Loyalty. Journal of China Tourism Research, 15, 1-20. Doi: 10.1080/19388160.2018.1516586
  31. Mahmoudi, P., Zarei, Q., & Bashkouh, M. (2016). Presentation of customer brand equity model in Sareen tourism destination. Tourism and Development, 6 (3), 116-138. (In Persian)
  32. Malekpourdekordi, F. (2015). Studying the effect of the quality of the tourist experience on the special value of the tourism destination brand; The city of Isfahan as a subject of study. master's thesis, under the guidance of Dr. Mohammad Ghafari, Golpayegan non-profit higher education institute. (In Persian)
  33. MansouriMoid, F., & YavariGahar, F. (2016). The effect of role stress on the satisfaction of working women considering the role of their self-efficacy. Management Studies (Improve ment and Transformation), 26 (86), 125-144. Doi: 10.22054/jmsd.2017.8445 (In Persian)
  34. Mehmannavazan, S. (2020). The effect of brand communication, customer satisfaction and service quality on brand loyalty: Investigating the mediating role of brand trust. The second international conference on new challenges and solutions in industrial engineering and management and accounting: Damghan University. (In Persian)
  35. Mesgari, M A. (2012). Investigating and prioritizing the factors affecting the special value of the tourism brand of West Azarbaijan province using the MADM technique. master's thesis, under the guidance of Dr. Ebrahim Abbasi. (In Persian)
  36. Mohammadi, M., Mirtaghian, S., & Naqvi, M. (2020). The role of tourists' perceptions in satisfaction and loyalty to rural tourism destination case: Javaherdeh village. Rural Development Strategies, 8 (1), 53-35. Doi: 10.22048/rdsj.2021.262192.1896 (In Persian)
  37. Nouri, F. (2015). The effect of the mental image and experience of the tourism destination brand on satisfaction and loyalty to the tourism destination brand; Case study: Shahr Sarein. Master's thesis, Dr. Manijeh Haghigin-Nasab, Al-Zahra University. (In Persian)
  38. Parhizgr, F., Param, A., & Safari, A. (2015). The role of urban management in the sustainable development of tourism in the city of Sarain. the third conference on modern researches in management, economics and humanities, Sarmad Karin Institute. (In Persian)
  39. Pike, S. D. (2004). Destination brand positioning slogans–towards the development of a set of accountability criteria. Acta Turistica, 16(2), 102-124.‌
  40. Polat, A.S., & Çetinsöz, B.C. (2021). The Mediating Role of Brand Love in the Relationship Between Consumer-Based Brand Equity and Brand Loyalty: a Research on Starbucks. Journal of Tourism and Services, 22 (12), 150-167. Doi: 10.29036/jots.v12i22.252
  41. Quan, N., Chi, N., Nhung, D., Ngan, N & Phong, L. (2020). The influence of website brand equity, e-brand experience on e-loyalty: The mediating role of e-satisfaction. Management Science Letters, 10(1), 63-76. Doi: 10.5267/j.msl.2019.8.015
  42. Rezaei, J., Mohammad, S. M., & Kazemi, A. (2019). The effect of tourism destination brand experience on value co-creation with a focus on the mediating role of destination brand love. Brand Management, 7(24), 1-31. Doi: 10.22051/BMR.2021.35372.2122 (In Persian)
  43. Rezvani, M. R., Faraji, H. A., Darban, A., & Karimi, S. (2016), identifying and validating factors and indicators of environmental quality effective in branding rural tourism destinations with content analysis method; Uramanat ethno-cultural region in Kurdistan and Kermanshah provinces). Rural Research, 8(2), 318-345. Doi: 10.22059/JRUR.2017.62675 (In Persian)
  44. Sabz Ali Yaqmani, K. (2012). A comprehensive review of brand value, approaches and measurement models from the customer's point of view. Isfahan University Humanities Research, 5 (24), 132-97. (In Persian)
  45. Shi, H., Liu, Y., Kumail, T. & Pan, L. (2022), "Tourism destination brand equity, brand authenticity and revisit intention: the mediating role of tourist satisfaction and the moderating role of destination familiarity", Tourism Review, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. Doi: 10.1108/TR-08-2021-0371
  46. Tabatabai-Nasab, S. M., & Mah-Avarpour, F. (2016). Structural modeling of factors affecting the reputation of a tourist destination and its effect on the special value of the destination brand (case: Isfahan). Journal of Urban Tourism, 4 (1), 71-86. Doi: 10.22059/JUT.2017.61998 (In Persian)
  47. Tajzadeh., N. A., & Esmail Mashrafe, F. (2012). Prioritization of special brand value components in tourism destination from the point of view of domestic tourists. Tourism Management Studies, 8 (24), 58-35. Doi: 20.1001.1.23223294.1393.8.24.2.9 (In Persian)
  48. Teimouri, I., & Qanezadeh, S. (2019). Investigating the factors affecting the brand value of health care services in Tabriz and its effect on the loyalty of health tourists. Journal of Urban Tourism, 7 (1), 171-161. Doi: 10.22059/JUT.2020.270042.570 (In Persian)
  49. Zarabkhane, F. (2013). study of the factors affecting the special value of the destination brand and the segmentation of the tourism market (case study: Isfahan city). master's thesis, Dr. Seyed Mohammad Tabatabai, Yazd University. (In Persian)
  50. Zha, D. Melewar, T. Foroudi, P. & Jin, Z. (2020). assessment of brand experience knowledge literature: Using bibliometric data to identify future research direction. International Journal of Management Reviews, 22(3), 287-317.‌ Doi: 10.1111/ijmr.12226
urban tourism
Volume 11, Issue 2
August 2024
Pages 35-56

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics