Destination Brand Experience: A Study Case in Touristic Context of the Peneda-Gerês National Park

Abstract

Based on the scientific literature, this paper emphasises the destination brand experience (DBE) (multidimensional construct and second-order factor) in order to analyse the implications it plays regarding visitors’ satisfaction, their intentions to revisit and their intentions to recommend it. In terms of methodology, a confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the model and the research hypotheses. The sample was composed of 507 tourists who visited the Peneda-Gerês National Park in Northern Portugal. Results showed an acceptable fit. The items of each construct were very strong. Positive significant results were found for all the considered hypotheses, particularly regarding the association of sensory DBE and behavioural DBE (subdimensions of the DBE scale) with satisfaction. The sensory DBE and affective DBE subdimensions of the DBE scale were meaningfully associated with visitors’ intentions to recommend. Satisfaction was a strong mediator for sensory DBE impact on their intention to revisit and to recommend, and a less strong effect was found for satisfaction as a mediator for behavioural DBE impact on intentions to revisit and to recommend. The theoretical contribution of this study aimed to deepen the analysis of the DBE construct in its multidimensional aspect and its relationship with other constructs. The results are discussed in relation to their theoretical and practical relevance.

Incorporating fire-smartness into agricultural policies minimises suppression costs and ecosystem services damages from wildfires

“…Recreational use is one of the most recognised ecosystem services provided by the Gerês-Xurés Biosphere Reserve, especially in Portugal, where its only national park, Peneda-Gerês National Park, is located and has a large number of visitors (Martins et al, 2021). We estimated recreation based on the presence of deciduous woodlands, mostly represented by oak forests (18% of the studied area) and old conifer forests, which are considered to be highly valued for recreation (Ciesielski and Sterenczak, 2018; Löf et al, 2016; Norman et al, 2010).…”

Artificial intelligence assisted insights into Bali’s destination image: sentiment and thematic analyses of TripAdvisor reviews

“…Visitors generally have positive experiences, translating into a more positive brand image of Bali as a tourism destination which bodes well for attracting even more tourists. Studies have shown that visitor experience is closely linked to destination image and behavioral intention [24], and that positive destination experience contributes to tourist satisfaction, revisit intention, and willingness to recommend [25].…”

A Review and Future Directions of Brand Experience Research in Tourism

“…This review also identified the mediators of brand experience in the tourism industry. It was found that the majority of reviewed articles discovered that satisfaction plays a big role in mediating the relationship between brand experience and other constructs (Barnes, et al, 2014;Chukwunwem & Ndubueze, 2018;Hussein, 2017;Odor & Okeke, 2020;Martins et al, 2021). Destination brand identification also has been found to mediate the relationships between brand experience and other constructs such as brand loyalty and destination trust (Han et al, 2019;Kumara & Kaushik, 2017).…”

“…Similarly, studied the effect of brand experience on satisfaction in the theme parking context and found that visitors' theme park experiences significantly exert an influence on the satisfaction of visitors. Martins et al (2021) also determined the effect of destination brand experience on visitors' satisfaction. The findings indicate a positive impact of brand experience on visitors' satisfaction.…”