Enhancing brand equity through sustainability marketing and ICT: a study on homestays in Malaysia

Janjua, Zain Ul Abedin (2022) Enhancing brand equity through sustainability marketing and ICT: a study on homestays in Malaysia. PhD thesis, UTAR.

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Abstract

Tourism stands to be gravely undermined by the effects of unsustainable growth; the tourism industry is still struggling to fully incorporate sustainable development in its practices. Addressing the concerns on sustainable rural tourism development, this study examined the antecedent and consequent relationship between Information and communication technology (ICT) competency, sustainability tourism marketing, and brand equity in the context of rural community-based homestays in Malaysia. This study also examined the political support of Malaysian local authorities and how this support benefits sustainable tourism marketing practices. A self-administered questionnaire was employed to collect responses; data were collected from 180 homestay operators. Homestay operators from Kuala Lumpur/ Selangor, Pahang, and Pulau Pinang, Malaysia participated in the study. The purpose of using the questionnaire in the current research was to generalize data from a sample of homestays located in these three states. To test research hypotheses a structural equation modelling approach was applied. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and Smart PLS 3 software was used for statistical analysis. The study findings suggest that the antecedents (ICT competency, sustainable tourism marketing), the consequent (brand equity), and the moderator (political support by local authorities) have a significant relationship. The study likewise recommends sustainability tourism marketing as a strategic tool to promote sustainable rural tourism development. Tourism development acceptable to all stakeholders that cover profit, people and planet aspect of sustainability is essential in the new normal post-COVID-19 pandemic. Also, a synergy between three aspects of sustainability and ICT competency is vital for achieving longevity in tourist firms’ brand equity. This study provides a unique contribution to the tourism body of knowledge by introducing political support by local authorities as a moderator in sustainable tourism marketing and brand equity relationship. Rural community-based homestays can employ tailor-made promotion policies for the development of homestays’ business brands; likewise, policymakers can apply undifferentiated promotion policies for the holistic expansion of the sustainable homestay market.

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