Enhancing brand equity through sustainable tourism marketing: A study on homestays in Malaysia (early view)
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Abstract
This study examined the antecedent and consequent relationship between sustainable tourism marketing and brand equity in the Malaysian rural community-based homestays perspective. To collect responses a self-administered questionnaire method was employed. Homestays operators from three Malaysian states, namely Kuala Lumpur/ Selangor, Pahang, and Pulau Pinang participated in the study. To test research hypotheses a structural equation modelling approach was used. The findings of the study suggest that the antecedent (sustainable tourism marketing), the consequent (brand equity), and moderator (political support by local authorities) have a significant relationship. The findings propose that “sustainable tourism marketing” promotes rural community-based tourism. Also, as a branding tool for sustainable rural community-based tourism. This study provides a unique contribution to the tourism body of knowledge by introducing political support by local authorities as a moderator in sustainable tourism marketing and brand equity relationship. Rural community-based homestays can employ tailor-made promotion policies for the development of homestays’ business brands; likewise, policymakers can apply undifferentiated promotion policies for the holistic expansion of the sustainable homestay market.
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