The role of brand image in mediating the influence of service quality and digital marketing on revisit intention (case study at the Royal Pita Maha)

The decline in occupancy rates at The Royal Pita Maha during the 2022–2024 period indicates that the attraction of repeat guests has not been optimally formed amidst increasing competition in the hotel industry in Bali. The Royal Pita Maha, known as a luxury resort that prioritizes service quality, unique Balinese culture, and active digital marketing, faces the challenge of maintaining guest revisit intention as a strategic issue. This study aims to analyze the effect of service quality and digital marketing on revisit intention with brand image as a mediating variable. Using a quantitative approach with the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) as a theoretical basis, the study sample consisted of 280 guests who had stayed at The Royal Pita Maha, determined using a non-probability sampling technique with a purposive sampling method. Data were collected through questionnaires and analyzed using the Structural Equation Modelling method based on Partial Least Squares (PLS), and mediation testing refers to the approach of Hair et al. (2022). The results show that service quality and digital marketing have a positive and significant effect on brand image and revisit intention.

Furthermore, brand image has a positive effect on revisit intention, but does not act as a mediating variable in the relationship between service quality and digital marketing on revisit intention. This finding indicates that although service quality and digital marketing can directly increase revisit intention, brand image formation has not fully become a connecting mechanism in driving guest revisit behaviour. Theoretically, this study strengthens the relevance of the Theory of Planned Behaviour in explaining tourist revisit behaviour in the hospitality sector. Practically, the results of this study provide implications for the management of The Royal Pita Maha in formulating strategies to improve service quality and optimize digital marketing to strengthen guest revisit intention amidst the increasingly competitive hospitality industry.