Using attribution theory to explain tourists' attachments to place-based brands

Assuming a holistic view of attribution, the paper presents hypotheses regarding the mediating role of brand related attributions in the relationships between tourists' experiences (pleasure, arousal, satisfaction) and their emotional attachments to place-based brands. Testing the hypotheses involves a sample of 3460 visitors to fifteen international regions and examining wine (e.g., regional umbrella brands such as Bordeaux, Rioja, Tuscany, Napa, and Western Hills) as the tested stimulus. Results suggest that brand related attributions fully mediate the influence of pleasure and satisfaction on brand attachments, whereas arousal has a direct effect; prior place attachment and place to brand associations enhance effects of the tourism experience.