Explanation of structural relationship of the brand equity of an Ecolodge with the satisfaction of its tourists; Case study: Atashouni Ecolodge in the khor and Biabanak County, Isfahan Province

Although ecolodge have good branding potential, less effort has been made to brand them and less research has been done in the field of research. Although in Iran, ecolodge have undergone a bit of rapid growth, but the situation is qualitatively different and fewer ecolodge have seriously pursued its qualitative development; One of the ecolodges that effectively follows the path of development and attracts domestic and foreign ecotourists in the form of a branded ecolodge, is Atshouni ecolodge, which is the oldest among ecotourism resorts in Iran. By accepting the assumption that the development of ecolodge brings with it the development of tourism, the sustainable development of the destination and the pursuit of the interests of the local community, the need to address it becomes clear. In this regard, knowing the need to strengthen the brand of well-known ecolodge and the significant impact that tourist satisfaction has on the development and stability of ecolodge, has led the researcher to lead the impact of Atshouni tourists' satisfaction on the brand equity of this ecolodge. The research hypotheses are:- functional needs has a significant effect on the brand loyalty of Atashoni ecolodge;
- functional needs has a significant effect on the brand awareness of Atashoni ecolodge;
- functional needs has a significant impact on the brand quality of Atashoni ecolodge;
- functional needs has a significant effect on the brand image of Atashoni ecolodge;
- basic needs has a significant effect on the brand loyalty of Atashoni ecolodge;
- basic needs has a significant effect on the brand awareness of Atashoni ecolodge
- basic needs has a significant impact on the brand quality of Atashoni ecolodge;
- basic needs has a significant effect on the brand image of Atashoni ecolodge;
- motivational needs has a significant effect on brand loyalty of Atashoni ecolodge;
- motivational needs has a significant effect on the brand awareness of Atashoni ecolodge;
- motivational needs has a significant effect on the brand quality of Atashoni ecolodge
- motivational needs has a significant effect on the brand image of Atashoni ecolodge;

The present research is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical in terms of nature; Data collection was library and field and the indicators used in the survey stage were taken from the Konknik brand equity model and Kano satisfaction model. The statistical population of the present study was the tourists of Atashouni ecolodge and a statistical sample of 250 items was selected. The reliability of the research instrument has been confirmed to the desired level by Cronbach's alpha coefficient and its validity has been confirmed by experts. Analysis of research data after coding was performed in SPSS25 and AMOS24 software.

Since the CR obtained for Hypotheses 2 and 6 is more than 1.96 and the P-value is acceptable, the effect of tourist satisfaction in terms of functional and basic needs on the brand awareness of this residence is not confirmed. Other research hypotheses on the effect of functional needs of Atashouni ecolodge tourists on brand loyalty, the effect of functional needs on the brand quality of ecolodge, the effect of functional needs on the brand image of ecolodge, the impact of basic needs on the Brand Loyalty of ecolodge, The Impact of Basic Needs on the Brand Awareness of ecolodge, The Impact of Basic Needs on the Brand Quality of ecolodge, The Impact of Basic Needs on the Brand Image of ecolodge, The Impact of Motivational Needs on the Brand Loyalty of ecolodge, Motivational needs of tourists on brand awareness of ecolodge, the effect of motivational needs on the brand quality of ecolodge and the effect of motivational needs of tourists on the brand image of ecolodge is confirmed.

In the present study, an attempt was made to investigate the effect of tourism satisfaction components in Atashouni ecolodge on the main dimensions of the brand equity of this ecolodge. The results showed that the strongest relationship known in the research model is related to the effect of functional, basic and emotional needs on the loyalty of tourists to Atashoni ecolodge; These figures show a very strong relationship and show that accommodation managers should prioritize meeting the functional, basic and emotional needs of tourists; Although the indicators of tourist destination preference and intention to visit again show an acceptable level, it is still important to meet the needs and satisfy the tourists of Atashoni ecolodge; Therefore, paying attention to the layout of the yard and coordinating it with the native environment and following the emotional needs, involving the ecologist in traditional and collective activities will be effective.