Bianchi, C., & Pike, S. (2011). Antecedents of attitudinal destination loyalty in a long haul market: Australia's brand equity among Chilean visitors. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing. 28(7): 736-750 more

Few, if any, previous studies have examined Latin American consumers’ perceptions of holiday destinations. This paper reports an attempt to measure destination brand equity for Australia as a long haul destination in the emerging Chile market. The research adapted a model of consumer-based brand equity (CBBE) from the marketing literature, and selected attitudinal destination loyalty as the dependent variable. Antecedents of destination brand loyalty were tested using data from a sample of Chilean travelers, comprising a mix of previous visitors and non-visitors to Australia. The findings suggest that brand salience, brand image, and brand value are positively related to brand loyalty for Australia as a long-haul holiday destination. This demonstrates that while brand salience for Australia is strong, as a long haul destination the country faces significant challenges in converting awareness into intent to visit. Australia is a more compelling destination brand for previous visitors than non-visitors. This implies that a word of mouth recommendation from previous visitors, a key component of attitudinal loyalty, is a positive indicator of future growth opportunities for Australia’s destination marketers to capitalize on.