Investigating the Effect of Brand Equity on Tourists’ Visits, Analyzing the Role of Brand Attitude and Brand Performance in the Luxury Tourism Industry

Brand equity is a great marketing asset that creates a competitive advantage and improves corporate performance. This study examines the effects of consumer-based brand equity (brand loyalty, brand awareness, perceived quality, and brand image) on the Namakabrud tourist village and tourists’ decisions, considering the role of brand attitude and performance. The research is applied in terms of purpose, and it is a descriptive survey. The statistical population of the study is the tourists of Namakabrud tourist village. The statistical sample included 5-10 times the number of items,  355 people were randomly identified, and questionnaires were distributed among them. To assess the validity of the questionnaire, formal and structural validity were used, and Cronbach's alpha was used to evaluate the reliability of the tool. Finally, the validity and reliability were confirmed. The data were analyzed by the structural equation modeling method using SPSS and PLS software. The results show that all four elements of brand equity are positively related to brand attitude, and all three variables directly affect tourists’ intention to visit. Brand attitude mediates the four elements of brand equity and the tourists’ visit intention, and brand performance moderates the relationship between brand attitude and the tourists’ visit intention. This study extends the brand equity theory to include tourism brands. In addition, this study identifies brand performance as a fundamental factor instead of a consequence of brand value and brand attitude