The Customer-Based Brand Equity of Itaipu Tourist Complex: a comparison between perceptions of visitors from the Brazilian and Paraguayan side
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5380/tes.v11i3.63032Keywords:
Tourism, Customer-based brand equity, Brand equity, Tourist attraction, Branding, Foz do Iguacu, Hernandarias, Itaipu BinacionalAbstract
Tourist attractions are usually analyzed under the image approach, disregarding other dimensions that comprise the Customer-Based Brand Equity (CBBE). The attraction object of this research is Itaipu Binacional power plant, which has tourist complexes in its two sides (in Brazil and Paraguay) and it shows differences in the number and profile of visitors. This paper intended to measure the CBBE of the Itaipu Tourist Complex on the Brazilian and Paraguayan sides using a quantitative survey with 671 visitors, using a questionnaire based on multidimensional scales used in tourist destination measurements. Data were collected in 2016 and 2017 and analyzed through descriptive statistics and stratified analysis. A high brand value was observed for all CBBE items, especially in the awareness dimension, and differences between the brand perception of domestic (Brazilian and Paraguayan) and foreign visitors, as well as between the perception of experienced and sporadic travelers, mainly in awareness and perceived quality dimensions.