Product-place image, destination loyalty and destination brand equity: an empirical study of an Ayurvedic destination

Among many 'images', product-place image also influences tourist inflow towards a destination. Some products will get an extra boost by the place where it is originated, like Swiss chocolate, German engine, etc. This paper deal with the kind of tourism product that Kerala tourism is offering, that is Ayurvedic tourism. The work is themed perceived denomination of origin image of Kerala Ayurveda, and the relationship of destination loyalty and destination brand equity. Data has been collected from Ayurvedic tourists who visited Kerala for the treatment. The study resulted in a significant positive relation between denomination of origin image and destination brand equity and a significant mediating effect of destination loyalty. The study provides a better understanding of the product-place image to the practitioners. It helps to track where to focus (functional or affective) to uplift the image. The research also adds knowledge to tourism image studies.