The Mediating Role of Travel Destination Engagement in the Effects of Country Images on Consumer-Based Brand Equity of Dairy Products: Evidence from China

Food and agricultural products shape tourism by linking communities and regions to leisure travel. Consumers’ perceptions of a country and its food products can shape their attitudes and behaviors toward it as a travel destination. This study compares the effects of general country image (GCI), product–country image (PCI), and product image (PI) on Chinese dairy consumers’ engagement with the country of origin as a travel destination (TDE). It also tests whether TDE mediates the effects of country images on consumer-based brand equity (BEQ) for dairy products. We analyzed 573 valid online responses from mainland China, a major market for dairy products and outbound tourism, using covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) in AMOS 31. The results identify TDE as a key factor that fully mediates the effect of GCI on BEQ. PCI and PI show both direct effects on BEQ and indirect effects through TDE. The proposed framework links country evaluations to destination engagement and brand outcomes, highlighting opportunities for integrated cross-sector promotion. This research is among the first to examine co-marketing between the tourism sector and the dairy industry through a country-image perspective. It provides practical guidance for cross-sector strategy and contributes to ongoing debates in both fields.