1. Full name of doctoral candidate: Hoang Thi Van 2. Gender: Female
3. Date of birth: December 2, 1991 4. Place of birth: Nghe An
5. Decision on admission of doctoral students: Decision No. 3618/2018/QD-XHNV dated December 4, 2018, of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.
6. Changes to the training process (if any): Extension period from 12/2021 - 12/2024
7. Thesis title: Destination brand equity and the intention of international tourists to return to Vietnam.
8. Major: Tourism 9. Code: 9810101.01
10. Scientific supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Hong Long
11. Summary of the new findings of the thesis:
Research objectives
This thesis focuses on clarifying the relationship between destination brand equity elements and the intention of international tourists to return to Vietnam, and the moderating influence of destination novelty search on this relationship. From this, it offers managerial implications for destination marketers to enhance destination brand equity and attract international tourists to visit Vietnam.Research methods
The research process for this dissertation is divided into two stages:
During the Exploratory Research phase, the analytical techniques applied for literature review included: (1) systematic literature review based on the analysis of 62 screened research works to review literature on destination brand equity; (2) meta-analysis using CMA software, version 4.0, to evaluate the results of 35 previous studies and confirm the viability of research hypotheses; (3) content analysis applied to review literature on return intentions and destination novelty seeking, thereby identifying research gaps, models, and hypotheses. In addition, (4) expert interviews were applied, through which variables and scales were screened, supplemented, and adjusted to suit the research.
The second phase was the empirical study. The formal survey was conducted via Google Forms, collecting 680 responses from international tourists visiting Vietnam. The survey used convenient sampling techniques. The primary data were collected from surveys conducted from October 2022 to February 2023. The collected data was processed using SPSS 18.0 and SmartPLS version 3.3.5. Partial Least Squares (PLS) analysis was used to test the measurement model and the structural model. Finally, the conclusions were presented for discussion and significance analysis.
Main research results
(1) Systematic overview analysis has provided a comprehensive picture of destination brand equity, especially current research directions. The study found that the four most commonly measured elements of destination brand equity in the period from 2007 to 2021 are: destination brand awareness, destination brand image, perceived destination quality, and destination brand loyalty. The study analyzed research models of previous studies to generalize the main research directions of destination brand equity (5 research directions), identify the existing relationships between destination brand equity elements (6 relationships of interaction between these elements), and their impact on the intention to return to the destination to propose a research model and hypotheses.
(2) The assessment of the relationship between destination brand asset factors and their impact on tourists' intention to return to the destination was carried out through meta-analysis and empirical survey methods. The results show that 10 research hypotheses were accepted, indicating that the analysis based on empirical research was consistent with the results obtained from exploratory research (meta-analysis). Accordingly, good perception of the destination brand has a positive influence on perceived destination quality (H1), destination brand loyalty (H2), and destination brand image (H3). In addition, the analysis results found that perceived destination quality had a positive influence on destination brand image (H4). Furthermore, the study also showed that factors positively influencing destination brand loyalty include destination brand awareness (H2), perceived destination quality (H5), and destination brand image (H6). This demonstrates that the destination brand equity measurement model based on international tourists has been well applied to Vietnam as a destination. Furthermore, the study also found that destination brand equity is a significant factor in increasing tourists' intention to return (H7-H10).
(3) The results of exploring the moderating impact of destination novelty search show differences. Destination novelty search positively moderated the relationship between destination brand image and tourists' intention to return (H11b). Meanwhile, tourists' destination novelty search moderated the relationship between destination brand loyalty and intention to return to the destination (H11c). In addition, demographic factors such as age and different trip durations of tourists also lead to differences in the intention of international tourists to return to Vietnam.
New Contributions
First, this study has strengthened and provided a theoretical foundation for destination brand equity: (1) analyzing the model of the most commonly used elements of destination brand equity in the period from 2007 to 2021, (2) summarizing the main research directions of destination brand equity, and (3) clarifying the interrelationships that exist between the elements of destination brand equity. The study helps scientists gain a rich understanding of the development process of destination brand equity, further clarifying and reducing the disagreement on the number of components of destination brand equity and the lack of homogeneity in the relationship between them due to the unique complexity of each destination.
Secondly, this thesis has provided a deeper insight into how tourists perceive a destination as a brand and how brand equity influences their intentions or behavior. The thesis has inherited the measured components (observed variables) of destination brand equity from the customer's perspective. These structures and measured variables can be applied to identify brand equity for other existing tourist destinations, regardless of destination size.
Third, this study strengthens the understanding of factors predicting tourists' intention to return to a destination by combining brand equity theory (Aaker, 1991, 1996) and planned behavior theory (Ajzen, 1991) to examine how foreign tourists' perceptions of destination brand equity influence their intention to return. According to the research findings, destination brand equity is a significant factor in increasing tourists' intention to return.
Fourth, the thesis also added a new approach by integrating novelty-seeking theory (Bello and Etzel, 1985) to explain tourists' intention to return to a destination. The thesis built, tested, and contributed to the literature on destination brand management by becoming one of the first studies to examine the moderating role of destination novelty-seeking on the relationship between destination brand assets and tourists' intention to return. The research results indicate that tourists' novelty-seeking behavior at a destination creates unique identifiers that other destinations cannot replicate.
Fifth, from a practical perspective, the thesis provides an overall picture and important insights into destination branding and destination brand equity based on international tourists, given that Vietnam's destination brand has not yet made a strong impression on international tourists. Therefore, it contributes to strengthening Vietnam's destination brand equity. Understanding how Vietnam's destination brand equity is perceived by international tourists is also practically significant for Vietnamese destination managers and tourism service providers to understand the perceptions, needs, and behaviors of international tourists regarding Vietnam's destination brand. This allows them to evaluate and apply effective strategies to increase destination brand equity, attract international tourists to visit and return to Vietnam, and further develop Vietnam's tourism industry.
Conclude
Based on research findings and the current state of Vietnam's tourism brand development, this thesis offers several management implications for destination marketers to enhance the value of destination brand assets and attract international tourists to visit and return to Vietnam. Furthermore, these relevant findings can provide valuable insights for destination managers, policymakers, and tourism service providers, highlighting the need to invest in distinctive destination images, novel experiences, innovative tourism products, and tailor their destination branding strategies to target specific tourists. This is essential for destination marketers to strengthen outstanding brand attributes that can encourage potential tourists to visit and return to the destination regularly.
12. Directions for further research:
- Supplementing qualitative research methods to better understand Vietnam's tourism branding issues from the perspective of international tourists and other stakeholders.
- Explore other factors and expand upon the model used in this study, such as tourist satisfaction, length of stay, and social media.
13. Publications related to the dissertation:
- Hoang Thi Van, Pham Hong Long (2021), “Examining the effect of destination brand equity dimensions and novelty regarding revisit intention”, Proceedings of the The 2nd International Conference on Innovations in the Social Sciences & Humanities, ISBN 978-0-9945391-6-8, pp. 394-404.
- Hoang Thi Van, Pham Hong Long (2021), “Destination brand equity and revisit intention of tourists: the theoretical perspective”, Proceedings of the 3rd International Tourism Retail and Service Management Conference (TRMC), ISBN 978-967-5492-64-8, pp. 128-145.
- Van, HT, & Hieu, VM (2020), “Travel Branding in Tourism 4.0: Case Study Vietnam Travel”, Journal of Asian and African Studies Vol. 55 (6), pp. 896-909.
- Hoang Thi Van, Vo Minh Hieu (2019), "Problems of how to impersonate the tourism brand for travel businesses in the context of technological agency 4.0", Proceedings of the International Conference on Innovations in the Social Sciences & Humanities, ISBN: 978-0-9945391-4-4, pp. 221-228.
INFORMATION ON DOCTORAL THESIS
1. Full name: Hoang Thi Van 2. Sex: Female
3. Date of birth: December 2, 1991 4. Place of birth: Nghe An
5. Amission decision number 3618/2018/QD-XHNV dated December 4, 2018 by University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.
6. Changes in academic process: Extension period from December 2021 to December 2024
7. Officical thesis title: Destination brand equity of and inbound tourists' revisit intention to Vietnam
8. Major: Tourism 9. Code: 9810101.01
10. Supervisor: Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Hong Long
11. Summary of the new findings of the thesis
Research purpose:
The thesis focuses on clarifying the relationship between destination brand equity factors and the revisit intention among inbound international tourists to Vietnam and the moderating influence of destination novelty seeking. This has management implications for destination marketers, and the study may help increase the value of destination brand equity which attracts inbound tourists to visit Vietnam.
Research methods
In the Exploratory Research phase, analytical techniques applied to review the literature include: (1) a systematic literature review was completed based on analysis of 62 screened research papers reviewing the literature on destination brand equity; (2) meta-analysis was made by using CMA software, version 4.0 to evaluate the results of 35 previous studies and confirm the viability of research hypotheses; (3) content analysis was applied to review the literature on revisiting intentions and destination novelty seeking, thus drawing out research gaps, models and hypotheses. In addition, (4) the method of consulting experts was applied, through which variables and scales were screened, supplemented and adjusted to suit the research.
The second phase was experimental research. The official survey was conducted via Google forms, receiving 680 responses from international tourists to Vietnam. The survey used a convenience sampling technique. Primary data was collected from surveys conducted between October 2022 and February 2023. The data was processed using SPSS 18.0 software package and SmartPLS statistics version 3.3.5. Partial Least Squares (PLS: partial least squares) analysis was used to test the measurement model (Measurement model) and structural model (Structural model). The conclusions are presented for discussion and implications are drawn.
Main research results
(1) Systematic overview analysis has provided a comprehensive picture of destination brand assets, especially current research directions. The study found four elements of destination brand equity that are most commonly used as measures in the period from 2007 to 2021: destination brand awareness, destination brand image, destination perceived quality and destination brand loyalty. The study analyzed the research models of previous research works to generalize the main research directions of destination brand equity (5 research directions), determine the relationships that exist between these factors. Destination brand equity factors (6 interactive relationships between these factors), and their impact on the revisit intention to the destination proposed a model and research hypothesis.
(2) The assessment of the relationship between destination brand equity elements and their impact on tourists' intention to revisit a destination was carried out through synthetic analysis and survey. The survey results showed that 10 research hypotheses were accepted, indicating that the analysis based on empirical research was compatible with the results obtained from exploratory research (meta-analysis). created, it sees good awareness of the destination brand has a positive influence on destination perceived quality (H1), destination brand loyalty (H2) and destination brand image (H3). Besides, the analysis results found that the perceived quality of the destination positively influences the destination brand image (H4). In addition, the research also shows that factors that positively influence destination brand loyalty include destination brand awareness (H2), destination perceived quality (H5), and destination brand image (H6). This suggests that the destination brand equity measurement model based on international tourists has been well applied to Vietnamese destinations. Furthermore, the study also found that destination brand equity is an important factor in increasing tourists' revisit intention (H7-H10).
(3) The results exploring the level of moderating effects of destination novelty seeking are different. Destination novelty seeking positively moderates the relationship between destination brand image and tourists' revisit intention (H11b). Meanwhile, Destination novelty seeking moderates the relationship between destination brand loyalty and revisit intention to the destination (H11c). In addition, demographic factors such as age and different trip lengths of tourists also lead to differences in the revisit intention of inbound tourists to Vietnam.
Seed contributions
First, this study has consolidated and provided a theoretical foundation for destination brand equity: (1) analyzed the model of the most commonly used elements of destination brand equity during the period from 2007 to 2021, (2) summarized the main research directions of destination brand equity and (3) clarified the interactive relationships that exist between destination brand equity elements. Research scientists help acquire a richer understanding of the process of developing destination brand equity, clarifying and reducing any lack of consensus on the number of components of destination brand equity and any lack of uniformity in the relationship between them due to the unique complexity of each destination.
Second, this thesis has provided a deeper perspective on how tourists perceive a destination as a brand and how brand equity influences their intentions or behavior. The thesis has inherited the measurement components (observed variables) of destination brand assets from the customer perspective. These constructs and measurement variables can be applied to determine brand equity for other existing tourism destinations of any destination size.
Third, this study strengthens the understanding of the factors that predict tourists' intention to revisit a destination by combining brand equity theory (Aaker, 1991, 1996) and theories of behavioral planning (Ajzen, 1991) to examine the process by which foreign tourists' perceptions of destination brand equity influence their revisit intention to the destination. According to the findings of this study, destination brand equity is an important factor in increasing tourists' revisit intention.
Fourth, the thesis also adds a new approach when this study integrated novelty search theory (Bello and Etzel, 1985) to explain tourists' destination revisit intention. This thesis has built, tested and contributed to the literature on destination brand management by becoming one of the first studies to evaluate the moderating role of destination novelty seeking on the relationship between destination brand equity and tourists' revisit intention. Research results show that novelty seeking at a destination of tourist create identifying characteristics that cannot be replicated by other destinations.
Fifth, from a practical perspective, the thesis provides an overall picture and important insights about destination brand and destination brand equity based on international tourists intent. Even when Vietnam destination brand has not yet made much impression on international tourists, it is possible to contribute to strengthening the brand equity of Vietnamese destinations. Understanding the brand equity of Vietnamese destinations based on the perceptions of international tourists ensures there is also practical significance for Vietnamese destination managers and tourism service providers. To understand the perceptions, needs and behavior of international tourists about Vietnam's destination brands, thereby evaluating and applying good strategies to increase destination brand equity the thesis encourages international visitors to return to Vietnam, helping Vietnam's tourism industry develop further.
Conclude
Based on research results and the current status of Vietnamese tourism brand development, this thesis offers a number of management implications to destination marketers to help increase the value of destination brand assets and attract international tourists to visit and return to Vietnam for tourism. Furthermore, these results can also provide insights for destination managers, policy makers, and tourism service providers to pay attention to investing in differentiated destination images, novel experiences, refreshing tourism products at destinations and tailoring their destination branding strategies to target tourists. It is essential for destination marketers to strengthen outstanding brand attributes that can stimulate potential tourists to visit and revisit to the destination on a regular basis.
12. Further research directions
- Using qualitative research methods to better understand Vietnam tourism branding issues from the perspective of international tourists and other stakeholders
- Exploring other factors and expanding on the model used in this study such as tourist satisfaction, length of stay, social media.
13. Thesis-related publications
- Hoang Thi Van, Pham Hong Long (2021), “Examining the effect of destination brand equity dimensions and novelty regarding revisit intention”, Proceedings of the The 2nd International Conference on Innovations in the Social Sciences & Humanities, ISBN 978-0-9945391-6-8, pp. 394-404.
- Hoang Thi Van, Pham Hong Long (2021), “Destination brand equity and revisit intention of tourists: the theoretical perspective”, Proceedings of the 3rd International Tourism Retail and Service Management Conference (TRMC), ISBN 978-967-5492-64-8, pp. 128-145.
- Van, HT, & Hieu, VM (2020), “Travel Branding in Tourism 4.0: Case Study Vietnam Travel”, Journal of Asian and African Studies Vol. 55 (6), pp. 896-909.
- Hoang Thi Van, Vo Minh Hieu (2019), "Problems of how to impersonate the tourism brand for travel businesses in the context of technological agency 4.0", Proceedings of the International Conference on Innovations in the Social Sciences & Humanities, ISBN: 978-0-9945391-4-4, pp. 221-228.
