An integrative model of destination brand equity and tourist satisfaction |
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Authors: | Héctor San Martín Angel Herrero María del Mar García de los Salmones |
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Affiliation: | 1. Department of Business Administration, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spainsmartinh@unican.eshttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-0424-3088;3. Department of Business Administration, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spainhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-8103-9174;4. Department of Business Administration, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spainhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-5217-4553 |
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Abstract: | This paper develops an integrative model that includes the dimensions of destination brand equity (i.e. awareness, image, quality and loyalty), as well as a key behavioural variable that is tourist satisfaction. In particular, our paper aims to contribute to the literature: (1) by examining the relationships between the dimensions of destination brand equity, which is not a deeply investigated issue so far; and (2) by adding tourist satisfaction, a key concept in loyalty formation, to the variables usually considered in destination brand equity models. The model was tested in two samples, national and international tourists visiting a destination in Spain, in order to also explore the role of the geographical and cultural distance between tourist and destination. Our results from a multi-group analysis indicate: (1) a robust link between “quality-satisfaction-loyalty” in both samples of tourists; (2) a chain of effects among awareness, image (separately considering the cognitive and affective dimensions) and perceived quality, although with the presence of some significant difference between both samples of tourists; and (3) a positive influence of cognitive image on affective image in both cases. |
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Keywords: | brand equity awareness image quality satisfaction loyalty |
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