CONCEPTUALISING DOMESTIC DESTINATION BRAND EQUITY: THE CASE OF SOUTH AFRICAN TOURISM

Dear respondent,

We at Tourism Research in Economic Environs and Society (TREES), the tourism research entity at the North-West University is currently conducting research and would like you to form part of it. The ethical clearance number for the project is (NWU-00901-21-A4). In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the primary goal of the study is to explore the potential influence of South Africa’s destination brand equity on the behaviour of South Africans within the domestic tourism context. A better understanding of tourist brand equity associated with the country in light of the COVID-19 pandemic will aid in the repositioning and marketing of South Africa as a tourism destination of choice. This information is vital to ensure the recovery and sustainability of the South African tourism industry. The study will provide tourism marketers with critical insights that will assist in the development of attractive tourism products aimed at better satisfying the needs of local tourists, as well as addressing the post-crisis risk-related issues associated with tourism.

Please note the following:

• Your participation in this research is completely voluntarily, and you will receive no form of compensation.
• The reason(s) why this questionnaire contains socio-demographic information, is to provide tourism marketers with valuable information regarding the profile of the market attracted to local tourism destinations. Your socio-demographic information will not be used to single you out from the sample but will instead be used as part of a collective socio-demographic profile of the tourist market. This information is necessary to identify specific trends in the needs of tourists to assist tourism destinations in adapting their marketing and management strategies accordingly.
• The questionnaire includes questions concerning brand equity aspects that may influence tourists when deciding to travel and engage in tourism. The questionnaire also includes questions concerning the willingness to travel within the next year, brand equity, brand loyalty, as well the brand satisfaction associated with domestic. It is anticipated that the information you are going to provide will give tourism practitioners (including marketers and destination managers) a better understanding of how you, as the tourist, make your decision to travel. Your views in this regard are important as they will assist tourism destinations to provide you with a more enjoyable tourism experience and better value. Your opinions will also be used as part of a collective tourist profile thus, no individual responses will be singled out.
• Your information will remain anonymous – no personal information that can link the data to you will be asked. Responses from each individual will not be identified, but rather the results will be presented in aggregate (the results of the group will be presented as a whole) and no individual results will be reported. Please do not include personal details such as your contact information.
• All data obtained is stored on a secure server at TREES.
• The results of the research will be published in the form of peer-reviewed academic publications.
• This questionnaire should take approximately 7-10 minutes to complete.
• If you feel, at any time, that you want to halt participation in this study, please feel free to do so without judgement.
• To avoid that respondents accidentally skipping a question, the online survey will require you to answer every question before the form can be submitted or go to the next page. While, it will be required that respondents answer each question, if you feel, at any time, that you want to halt participation in this study, please feel free to do so without judgement.

If you are comfortable with the content, and you have no objections, please click on the link to complete the online survey. By completing this survey, you give consent that this information may be used for research purposes. For any further information, feel free to contact the principal researcher, Elmarie Slabbert at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or co-investigator Dr Tafadzwa Matiza at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Yours sincerely

Prof Elmarie Slabbert                                                                                                                                             Dr Tafadzwa Matiza