Role of Cultural Diversity in Influencing the Destination Brand Equity of Mombasa County, Kenya

Abstract

Cultural diversity branding is becoming a new approach in marketing the tourism sector. This emphasizes the branding of the destination image. In the Tourism sector, multicultural conditions are getting vast resources to subdue other similarly characterized destinations. Kenya's cultural tourism being relatively underdeveloped means more branding is a requirement. Mombasa, for example, is stifling being competed by other destinations with more cultural diversity championships. The study’s conduct meant understanding cultural diversity through product diversity's roles in influencing brand equity, aiming towards determining how consumer, product, and producer diversities targeted destination brand equity in Mombasa. The methodology used cross-sectional and mixed-method approach to sample 350 respondents (guests). After stratified sampling that allocated them by their cultural heritage sites, the respondents got interviewed. Using a self-administered questionnaire and evaluation checklist as primary data collection tools, the following were established as findings: Producer diversity influenced destination brand equity. Cultural resource consumers complemented cultural products. Security and destination image were a reason for the pulling/pushing of guests. Rao Stirling (0.324) was of diversity being of lower significance. Simpson’s variation measure of cultural resources versus balancing ‘ex-ante’ of cultural products (0.621) resulted in a significant correlation. This integration was through integrating variety in balancing the dual producer-consumer concept of diversities using the implicit prioritization of intangible and tangible resources’ subordinate properties. The pull factors were website information (at 56.8%). Low consumption resulted from insecurity, poor destination attraction, and non-compelling destination image. On the push factors, destination attractiveness contributed by 55.4% as tour operators and 83.6% as the cost of holiday packs. However, previous travel experience recorded no correlation towards destination brand equity. In conclusion, destination brand equity the efficacy lied on main branding aspects. These included producer diversities being inseparable from guest experiences, products, and consumers.