Enhancing brand equity in popular culture tourism: testing the role of fandom in a serial mediation model

Abstract

This research underpins an integrated theoretical framework incorporating brand equity theory and affect transfer theory to investigate relationships among fandom, destination brand equity, destination attachment, and travel intention. Utilizing partial least structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique with a sample of 577 fans, the study reveals positive relationships between two types of fandom, and between destination attachment and travel intention. Notably, it identifies the statistically significant mediating role of destination brand equity and the serial mediating role of both destination brand equity and destination attachment. This research illustrates the potential of popular culture tourism in enhancing destination appeal and competitiveness.