Exploring the Mediation Effect of Brand Trust on the Link Between Tourism Destination Image, Social Influence and Brand Loyalty

Abu Elnasr E. Sobaih (), Hassane Gharbi, Riadh Brini () and Nadir Aliane
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Abu Elnasr E. Sobaih: Management Department, College of Business Administration, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsaa 31982, Saudi Arabia
Hassane Gharbi: Management Department, Faculté des Sciences Économiques et de Gestion de Nabeul, Nabeul 8000, Tunisia
Riadh Brini: Management Department, Faculté des Sciences Économiques et de Gestion de Nabeul, Nabeul 8000, Tunisia
Nadir Aliane: Management Department, College of Business Administration, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsaa 31982, Saudi Arabia

Societies, 2025, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-16

Abstract: This study examines the structural relationship between a destination’s image (DI), social influence (SI), and tourists’ brand trust (BT) and brand loyalty (BL) in the destination of Tozeur, a Tunisian town located at the gateway to the Sahara and rooted in the Atlas Mountains, where George Lucas set scenes for the Star Wars saga. The structural correlations between the variables in the model were tested through structural equation modeling (SEM). Data from 1405 tourists, who had visited Tozeur, were analyzed through SEM using AMOS software (version 25). The results showed that DI significantly affects BT (β = 0.924, p < 0.001) and significantly affects BL (β = 0.481, p < 0.01). Additionally, SI significantly affects BT (β = 0.274, p < 0.001) and significantly affects BL (β = 0.234, p < 0.001). Furthermore, BT significantly affects the BL (β = 0.461, p < 0.01). Tourist’s trust in a brand was found to act as a partial mediator on the link between destination image and brand loyalty and between social influence and brand loyalty. The findings demonstrate the importance of the tourism destination as well as social influence in boosting tourism trust and increasing destination loyalty among tourists. The results have many practical implications for destination marketers.

Keywords: brand loyalty; brand trust; destination image; social influence; Tozeur; Tunisia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A13 A14 P P0 P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 Z1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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