Digital Marketing, Brand Reputation and Luxury Hotel Choice in Vietnam

This study examines the role of integrated digital marketing (DM) in shaping luxury hotel choice (LHC) among international tourists in an emerging market, with brand reputation (BR) as a partial mediator. Purpose: The study addresses conceptual fragmentation in hospitality research by analyzing DM as an integrated system and clarifying its direct and indirect effects on consumer choice behavior. Method: A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among international guests at eleven five‑star hotels in Hue City, Vietnam (n = 489). DM was modeled as a second-order formative construct comprising seven reflective dimensions. Data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling with bootstrapping. Results: DM strongly influences LHC and significantly enhances BR. BR also positively affects LHC; however, its mediating role is limited. The variance accounted for indicates a low‑level partial mediation structure, suggesting that most of the total effect of DM operates through direct pathways. Contributions: The study contributes by modeling DM as a coordinated higher-order construct and integrating signaling theory with environmental stimulus theory. It provides context-specific evidence from an emerging tourism destination and offers managerial implications for prioritizing digital strategies while identifying directions for future research on resource allocation and emerging digital technologies.