Customer-based destination brand equity formation in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan: The mediating role of perceived value

This research aims to investigate the linkages among destination brand quality, destination brand image, destination brand awareness and destination brand equity in the case of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, and to explore the mediating role of perceived value in explaining brand equity. The study used a quantitative research design and collected data from tourists at popular tourist spots in Gilgit-Baltistan via a structured questionnaire and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results suggest that perceived value significantly mediates the association between destination brand image, destination brand quality and destination brand equity. Destination brand equity is positively and significantly influenced by destination brand image, destination brand awareness, and destination brand quality. Moreover, destination image can enhance destination brand equity without depending on brand value. The findings provide empirical evidence to better understand the formation of destination brand equity in an emerging mountain tourism destination and offer practical implications for destination management organizations and policymakers.