Investigation factors affecting brand loyalty with mediating role of brand identification and brand love in five star hotels in Mashhad

Since hoteling is considered as one of the tourism elements that plays an important role in the economy of the country, then, paying attention to this industry is important. The existence of a dynamic and competitive environment in this industry has led hotel owners to seek to differentiate and find new ways to attract and retain their customers. The purpose of this research is applied and the research method is descriptive and survey. The statistical population of this study was domestic visitors to five star hotels in summer 2017 in Mashhad. The sample size according to the Morgan table is 384 people by stratified random sampling. The data gathering tool for research variables is standard questionnaire. In order to evaluate its validity, we used formal, content, and constructive validity, and its reliability was measured using Cronbach's alpha. Data analysis was performed through structural equation modeling method with Lisrel software. The results showed that the effect of Brand Identity and Brand Life style congruence on Brand Identity was significant. Also The impact of Brand Identification on Brand Love with direct path and its effect on loyalty with mediating role was confirmed. While the mediating role of Identification and its direct effect on brand loyalty was not significant.