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This paper aims to focus on examining the relationships between hotel brand equity (BE), brand satisfaction (BS) and brand loyalty, considering both behavioral loyalty (BL) and attitudinal loyalty (AL). These relationships are tested through seven causal models, i.e. one proposed model (PM) and six alternative models (AMs).

The fieldwork was conducted among 360 hotel guests in Spain in 2016.

The findings reveal that the PM, which considers BL, AL and BS as direct antecedents of BE, performed better than the alternative ones. AL is confirmed as the most significant driving factor of hotel BE, followed by brand image and perceived quality.

More rigorous measurement of brand image could be used as some of its indicators did not result significantly.

AL needs to be highly encouraged, as concerning customers’ subjective disposition and appraisal of a brand helps them maintain preference for the brand over alternatives. In addition, a positive brand image and superior perceived quality should be considered by hotel marketers as a basis for BE building.

The models proposed in this study can be used to examine how hotel BE results from its potential antecedents and outcomes. The significant insight lies in identifying key drivers of BE and in considering the causal relationships between BE, satisfaction and loyalty in hotel firms.

The purpose of this study is to empirically validate the relationships between social Web, integrated marketing communications (IMC) and overall brand equity and to test the moderating role of national culture on these relationships.

Data were collected among 475 customers and analysed using the LISREL and partial least squares (PLS) techniques and non-parametric methods.

Strong positive and significant relationships are found between social Web and IMC on the one hand, and IMC and brand equity on the other, the second relationship being even stronger than the first one. Moreover, national culture is found to exert a statistically significant moderating effect on both relationships.

The findings of this study contribute to the wider knowledge and theoretical understanding of both technology and marketing communications potential in the development of brand equity. The results therefore suggest that brand equity requires a representative brand name and consistent meaning of the brand sustained by social Web and the integration of marketing communications.

Consistency in marketing communications can be considered as a primary basis for brand equity building in companies. Moreover, efficient management of the user-generated content available in social media platforms represents a great challenge for marketers.

Although the connection between social Web, IMC and brand equity was founded in theory, there is a lack of empirical contributions on the causal relationships among these constructs. This gap is filled by the current empirical contribution. Another significant insight of this work lies in considering the role of national culture in the IMC research.

This paper aims to examine how message consistency pursued through integrated marketing communications (IMC) can build a strong destination brand equity in a very dynamic environment and whether this process is affected by the perceived risk of COVID-19.

Data collection was conducted among 333 international tourists visiting Croatia, a destination that has experienced a remarkable boom in the summer/autumn season of 2021, regardless of the pandemic. Partial least squares–structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used for data analysis.

Results show that IMC consistency has a significant impact on the four destination brand equity dimensions, i.e. awareness, image, perceived quality and loyalty. This influence is found to be the highest on destination brand awareness and the lowest on destination brand loyalty. Perceived risk of COVID-19 moderates the impact of message consistency on brand image and perceived quality.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that examines the role of IMC consistency in a tourism context during turbulent times. The impact of IMC consistency is analyzed on different components of destination brand equity, which addresses the most recent research call from tourism literature. The moderating effects of perceived risk are considered, thus providing additional implications in a context of high uncertainty. Finally, IMC consistency is assessed from the consumer rather than managerial viewpoints, thus adopting the necessary outside-in approach embedded in the IMC idea.

本文探讨了通过整合营销传播 (IMC) 追求的信息一致性如何在非常动态的环境中建立强大的目的地品牌资产, 以及这一过程是否受到 COVID-19 感知风险的影响。

在 333 名访问克罗地亚的国际游客中进行了数据收集, 该目的地在 2021 年夏季/秋季经历了非凡的繁荣, 无论大流行如何。偏最小二乘 - 结构方程建模 (PLS-SEM) 用于数据分析。

结果表明, IMC 一致性对四个目的地品牌资产维度有显着影响, 即意识、形象、感知质量和忠诚度。发现这种影响对目的地品牌知名度最高, 对目的地品牌忠诚度最低。 COVID-19 的感知风险缓和了信息一致性对品牌形象和感知质量的影响。

据作者所知, 这是第一项研究动荡时期 IMC 一致性在旅游环境中的作用。分析了 IMC 一致性对目的地品牌资产的不同组成部分的影响, 这解决了来自旅游文献的最新研究呼吁。考虑到感知风险的调节效应, 从而在高度不确定的情况下提供额外的影响。最后, IMC 一致性是从消费者而非管理的角度评估的, 因此采用了嵌入 IMC 理念的必要的由外而内的方法。

Este artículo examina cómo la coherencia del mensaje que se pretende conseguir a través de la Comunicación Integrada de Marketing (CIM) puede generar un fuerte valor de marca de un destino turístico en un entorno muy dinámico y si este proceso se ve afectado por el riesgo percibido del COVID-19.

La recogida de datos se ha llevado a cabo entre 333 turistas internacionales que visitaron Croacia, un destino que ha experimentado un auge turístico notable en la temporada de verano/otoño de 2021, independientemente de la pandemia. Para el análisis de datos, se ha empleado la técnica de mínimos cuadrados parciales PLS-SEM.

Los resultados muestran que la coherencia de la CIM tiene un impacto significativo en las cuatro dimensiones del valor de marca de un destino, es decir, notoriedad, imagen, calidad percibida y lealtad. Este impacto es más alto en el caso de la notoriedad y más bajo en el caso de la lealtad. El riesgo percibido del COVID-19 modera los efectos de la coherencia del mensaje en la imagen de marca y la calidad percibida.

Según el conocimiento de los autores, este es el primer estudio que examina el papel de la coherencia de la CIM en un contexto turístico durante tiempos inestables. Se analiza el impacto de la coherencia de la CIM en diferentes componentes del valor de la marca de destino, dando así respuestas a las llamadas más recientes de la literatura turística. Se consideran los efectos moderadores del riesgo percibido, proporcionando así implicaciones adicionales en un contexto de alta incertidumbre. Finalmente, la coherencia de la CIM se evalúa desde el punto de vista del consumidor, adoptando así el enfoque “de afuera hacia adentro”, que es uno de los principios base de la CIM.

Aligning corporate communications through different information sources is a great challenge for marketers, especially those operating in the tourism sector, which has been harshly affected by the recent COVID-19 pandemic. This paper provides a deep analysis of the implementation of seven basic principles of the integrated marketing communications (IMC) paradigm in a crisis situation.

In-depth interviews with tourism and hospitality service providers were conducted in the fourth quarter of 2021 in Croatia, a destination that showed remarkable results in terms of the number of international tourist arrivals during the pandemic.

Most firms successfully transitioned from tactical to strategic IMC implementation. Some problems were reported in the coordination of communication tools and channels. Whereas the use of digital technology was enhanced, database management did not receive sufficient attention. Message clarity represented the greatest challenge, while consumer-centric communication was the most neglected principle. Relationship building was pursued mainly through B2B rather than B2C communication, whereas brand equity development pursued through communication mix mostly focused on increases in awareness, perceived quality and attitudinal loyalty.

This research is qualitative in nature and provides opinions on IMC adoption from the managerial perspective only.

This paper provides guidelines for the successful integration of marketing communications (marcom) in an extremely ambiguous and uncertain environment.

The contribution of this work lies in the proposal of a new refined and expanded theoretical framework of IMC principles and numerous marcom strategies for operating during the COVID-19 pandemic, thus providing relevant implications for academia and industry.

This paper examines the development of customer-based brand equity through communication consistency in a luxury hotel segment. Communication consistency is considered as a basic principle of the integrated marketing communications (IMC) approach.

The empirical research was conducted among 223 guests during their stay in five-star deluxe luxury hotels in a Mediterranean country. Data are analyzed through the PLS technique and impact-asymmetry analysis.

Communication consistency is found to have a strong positive impact on all brand equity dimensions, especially on brand trust, brand image and perceived quality. The impact-asymmetry analysis further revealed negatively asymmetric relationships between communication consistency and six out of seven brand equity dimensions, except for affective commitment.

Some restrictions related to the measurement scales should be mitigated in future research.

Communication consistency is confirmed as a core management practice in luxury hotel business. Marketing professionals operating in this industry are therefore confronted with increasing challenges of efficient management of IMC.

This work addresses several research calls from the most recent marketing and hospitality literature. The analysis of the impact of communication consistency has extended our knowledge on the potential of IMC in creation of a strong brand. Obtained insights into the shape of the relationship between communication consistency and seven different brand equity dimensions help to better understand the process of brand equity building in a luxury hotel setting.

This study aims to provide insight into the determinants of wellness tourism satisfaction, thereby taking a nonlinear approach regarding the relationships between attribute-level performance of wellness facility attributes, on the one hand, and wellness destination attributes, on the other hand, and global wellness tourist satisfaction. In addition, scores of impact range are calculated to reveal the potentially most determinant wellness facility and destination attributes.

This study uses data from a survey-based study conducted among 1,331 wellness tourists who have engaged in wellness tourism activities at one of 28 hotels with wellness offerings and 10 spas in Croatia. Impact-asymmetry analysis and impact-range analysis are used to quantify the potential of individual wellness attributes to generate satisfaction and dissatisfaction among wellness tourists and to perform a classification of wellness attributes according to the three-factor theory of customer satisfaction.

Operators of wellness tourism facilities, as well as managers of wellness destinations, must not make any compromises in quality levels because most wellness attributes have significantly higher potential to frustrate than please tourists. Basic factors such as cleanliness, punctuality or safety turned out to have the strongest influence on global satisfaction levels. Moreover, in line with previous research, wellness tourists have large expectations from destinations to have a preserved and beautiful nature, which is by far the most influential destination attribute. In addition to a safe environment and high-quality accommodation, wellness tourists further prefer rich cultural offerings.

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to apply a nonlinear analysis approach to the quality–satisfaction relationship in a wellness tourism setting. Moreover, to the knowledge of the authors, this is the only study that used separate attribute models for wellness facilities, on the one hand, and wellness destinations, on the other hand, based on a nation-wide sample that covers multiple cases (i.e. multiple facilities and destinations).

本研究旨在深入了解养生旅游满意度的决定因素, 从而采用非线性方法来研究（i）养生设施属性和 （ii）养生目的地属性对国际养生游客满意度的关系。此外, 本文还计算了影响范围的分数, 以揭示潜在的最具决定性的养生设施和目的地属性。

本研究使用了基于对 1,331 名养生游客进行调查问卷的数据, 这些游客曾在克罗地亚 28 的酒店以及10个水疗中心进行了养生旅游活动。本文采用影响不对称分析（IAA）和影响范围分析（IRA）来量化个体养生属性在健康游客中产生满意度和不满意的潜力, 并根据顾客三因素满意度理论对健康属性进行分类。

养生旅游设施的运营商以及养生目的地的管理者不能在质量水平上做出任何妥协, 因为大多数养生属性很可能使游客感到沮丧, 而不是取悦游客。事实证明, 清洁、准时及安全等基本因素对全球满意度影响最大。此外, 根据之前的研究, 健康游客对目的地抱有很大的期望, 希望拥有保存完好且美丽的自然风光, 这是最具影响力的目的地属性。除了安全的环境和高品质的住宿外, 养生游客更看重丰富的文化产品。

这是第一项将非线性分析方法应用于养生旅游环境中的质量与满意度关系的研究。此外, 据作者所知, 这是唯一一项基于涵盖多个案例（即多个设施及目的地）的国家样本, 一方面对养生设施使用单独的属性模型, 另一方面对养生目的地使用单独的属性模型的研究。

Este estudio tiene como objetivo proporcionar información sobre los determinantes de la satisfacción del turismo de bienestar, adoptando así un enfoque no lineal con respecto a las relaciones entre el rendimiento a nivel de atributos de (i) atributos de instalaciones de bienestar, por un lado, y (ii) atributos de destino de bienestar, por otro lado, y la satisfacción del turista de bienestar global. Además, se calculan puntajes de rango de impacto para revelar las instalaciones de bienestar y los atributos de destino potencialmente más determinantes.

este estudio utiliza datos de un estudio basado en encuestas realizado entre 1,331 turistas de bienestar que participaron en actividades de turismo de bienestar en uno de los 28 hoteles con ofertas de bienestar y diez spas en Croacia. El análisis de asimetría de impacto (IAA) y el análisis de rango de impacto (IRA) se utilizan para cuantificar el potencial de los atributos de bienestar individuales para generar satisfacción e insatisfacción entre los turistas de bienestar y para realizar una clasificación de los atributos de bienestar de acuerdo con la teoría de los tres factores del cliente. satisfacción.

Los operadores de instalaciones de turismo de bienestar, así como los administradores de destinos de bienestar, no deben comprometer los niveles de calidad porque la mayoría de los atributos de bienestar tienen un potencial significativamente mayor para frustrar que para complacer a los turistas. Los factores básicos, como la limpieza, la puntualidad o la seguridad, resultaron ser los que más influyeron en los niveles de satisfacción global. En consecuencia, estos atributos no deben verse como fuentes potenciales de satisfacción y deleite del cliente, sino que deben otorgarse altos niveles de desempeño para evitar una fuerte insatisfacción. Además, en línea con investigaciones anteriores, los turistas de bienestar tienen grandes expectativas de que los destinos tengan una naturaleza preservada y hermosa, que es, con mucho, el atributo de destino más influyente. Además de un entorno seguro y un alojamiento de alta calidad, los turistas de bienestar prefieren una rica oferta cultural. Aplicando la teoría de los tres factores, una visión más matizada de la formación de la satisfacción del turista de bienestar mostró que estos atributos del destino tienen un potencial mucho mayor para crear una fuerte insatisfacción que satisfacción.

Este es el primer estudio que aplica un enfoque de análisis no lineal a la relación calidad-satisfacción en un entorno de turismo de bienestar. Además, según el conocimiento de los autores, este es el único estudio que utilizó modelos de atributos separados para instalaciones de bienestar, por un lado, y destinos de bienestar, por el otro, en base a una muestra nacional que cubre múltiples casos (es decir, múltiples instalaciones y destinos).

This paper examines the impact of communication technology and human-related factors on teacher, student and course performance, in particular on teacher's clarity, perceived value of the course and student learning.

Communication technology factors are analyzed in terms of social media use, while human-related factors are considered through teacher expertise and communication skills, more specifically non-verbal communication (NVC). The research model is tested on a sample of 303 students from two European universities, one in Southwestern and another in Southeastern Europe.

Findings reveal dominance of human factors over technology ones. Culture moderates some of the relationships examined.

Notwithstanding the relatively limited sample of students according to their national culture, this work offers valuable insights into the impact of technology use in classroom and teacher communication skills.

Teacher NVC and expertise override their use of technology-mediated communication in classroom. Findings have raised important questions whether social media applications should actually have place in nowadays education systems. What seems clear from this research is that technology advancements cannot replace teachers, although further research is necessary to re-examine their impact on different student outcomes and in different cultural contexts.

The originality of this paper lies in comparing the impact of technology vs human-related factors on classroom performance. An additional contribution is provided by considering the moderating role of national culture within the proposed research model.

The service industry has been facing many challenges connected to sustainable practices and how they affect final consumers. This paper aims to explore the impact of value co-creation (VCC) on customer-based brand equity and satisfaction, the latter being considered in terms of overall and green customer satisfaction. Moreover, considering the influence that a consumer’s age has on their behaviour, this paper analyses the moderating role of generational cohorts (Centennials vs. Millennials) on the direct interactions between the examined variables.

The empirical study was conducted in hotel companies, which place a strong emphasis on customer service and as such provide valuable implications for the industry. The data were collected from 263 hotel guests in Ukraine in 2018 using a structured closed-response face-to-face survey. Partial least squares structural equation modelling was used to test the hypothesised relationships. Multi-group analysis was conducted to examine the moderating role of the generational cohort.

The results show that customer perception of VCC positively influences brand equity. The findings also indicate that brand equity mediates the relationship between VCC, overall customer satisfaction and green customer satisfaction. In addition, it is demonstrated that generational cohorts moderate the relationships between VCC and overall customer satisfaction.

This study suggests that service companies should create more opportunities for VCC activities, not only to increase their customers’ participation in green practices but also to enhance brand equity and satisfaction to gain more competitive advantages.

The contribution of this study lies in considering value co-creation as a novel driver of brand equity, overall customer satisfaction and green customer satisfaction through the lens of sustainability in service-based companies. Examining the moderating role of the generational cohort provides significant insights into the impact of value co-creation through different groups of customers.

Most of the cross-cultural empirical research in hospitality has focused on Western and Eastern differences and has neglected cultural diversity in Europe. As cultural differences in Europe do exist and have important implications for managers operating in hotel industry, the purpose of this paper is to examine perceived quality in upscale (four- and five-star) hotels in two Mediterranean countries: Italy and Croatia.

Data were collected among 335 guests in upscale hotels in Italy and 475 hotel guests in Croatia. This work adopts a cross-cultural approach in two different ways. First, perceived quality is assessed in hotels in two different countries. Second, national culture of guests is considered in their evaluations of perceived quality in each country.

Surprisingly, hotels in Croatia, an emerging tourist destination, performed better than hotels in Italy, a top worldwide destination. The results show significant differences in perceived quality evaluations according to national cultures of hotel guests in each country. However, while in Croatia domestic guests perceived higher levels of quality than other guests, in Italy, perceived quality was rated lower by Italians than by their American counterparts.

The results of this study contribute to better understanding of perceived quality in cross-cultural research in hospitality.

Implications are discussed for both Italian and Croatian hotel managers, two direct competitors in the Mediterranean area.

This paper covers several research gaps: lack of cross-cultural research in hospitality marketing, poor examination of perceived quality in hotels from the cross-cultural perspective, and poor consideration of cultural diversity within European countries.

This paper aims to analyze the relationship between watching dance and mood enhancement considering potential differences across gender and age brackets.

Exploratory research was undertaken through a personal survey, using a structured questionnaire on a large sample of young participants between 18 and 35 years old, split into generational cohorts (Millennials or Generation Y and Centennials or Generation Z). Quota sampling (gender and age) was the method used to select respondents.

Results show that after watching dance, more positive mood changes were observed in general. However, they were stronger among women and younger Millennials. These findings are important as they open a new area of study; show the effects of culture on people; and help design programming strategies to enlarge audiences.

The effects of specific forms of arts and cultural participation on people’s moods have been analyzed from a diversity of disciplines. In the case of dance, studies have tested this relation among practitioners (active participants) but not among viewers (attendees) as this paper does.