Exploring the mutual relationships of brand equity in the tourism and hospitality sector

Purpose The purpose of current study aims to provide a different perspective on customer-based brand equity (CBBE) and integrate this with previous brand equity theory to contribute to the brand equity literature. Design/methodology/approach Proposed hypotheses were verified using structural equation modelling (SEM) with multiple datasets. Study 1 collected data from 574 foreign tourists and 624 domestic tourists of culinary tourism. Study 2 used 1,020 customers from anti-epidemic restaurants, and Study 3 investigated 464 hotel customers’ perceptions of customer-based brand equity. Findings Building on the mediation-moderation model, the present study posits that perceived quality relates to brand loyalty through brand image and brand awareness of using 2,682 participants. Specifically, we argue that this indirect relationship exhibits a difference moderated pattern in which motivation and hedonic function are most likely to benefit from revisit destinations for tourists when they are moderate. We further explored the new anti-epidemic concepts of COVID-19 and identified restaurant operation as an important moderator that influences customer image of restaurant revisit. Originality/value Until now, no tourism and hospitality studies have addressed these unsolved problems in an integrated manner. This study was to investigate the brand equity development process.