Am I Ibiza? Measuring brand identification in the tourism context

Abstract

Abstract Understanding brand identification is critical when developing successful relationships between tourists and the destinations they visit. Nevertheless, there is an absence of academic work that measures tourist destination brand identification. The purpose of this study is to develop a scale to measure brand identification within the context of tourism. The study develops 24 measurement items to construct a survey instrument. The instrument is then administered to collect data from a sample of 308 Ibizan tourists. Following a rigorous scale development process, a one-dimensional brand identification model is identified. Finally, a refined scale consisting of seven measurement items is developed. This scale is validated with a new sample of 126 Ibizan visitors. Multi-step psychometric tests verify that the new brand identification scale is reliable and valid. Destination managers could use this scale to evaluate and identify highly acknowledged tourist segments, and more accurately implement the corresponding promotional strategies to this target.