Assessing Customer-Based Brand Equity of Gilgit-Baltistan as an Emerging Mountainous Tourist Destination

In this study customer-based destination brand equity (CBBE) model is examined in the context of Gilgit-Baltistan, a mountain tourism destination having a unique natural landscapes, adventure tourism opportunities and cultural heritage. Causal effects of destination brand awareness, destination brand image, destination brand quality, and destination brand loyalty on overall destination brand equity are explored, based on the brand equity framework of Konicnic and Gartner and Aaker and using structural equation modelling (SEM). Tourists visiting Gilgit-Baltistan were contact to collect data. The results indicate that destination image and loyalty play a significant role in the formation of destination brand equity, while destination awareness and quality show a relatively weaker but significant influence. Destination loyalty emerges as a strong predictor of overall destination brand equity. Since this study is geographically limited to Gilgit-Baltistan, the results are not fully generalizable to other tourism contexts and further research in different destination settings is recommended. In real life the findings offer important understandings for destination managers and policymakers in Gilgit-Baltistan to strengthen destination image, enhance service quality, and enhance visitor loyalty to enhance destination brand equity