Exploring Mediating Role of Business Attraction in Destination Branding and Economic Upliftment: A Case of Jaunsar Bawar Region

Abstract

Destination Branding helps in attracting various business opportunities to that particular area and that thing in turn helps in the economic upliftment of that region. This study talks about the mediating role played by business attraction between the destination branding and economic upliftment. This paper aims to develop and test a conceptual framework of exploring the mediating role of business attraction in destination branding and economic upliftment relations of a region, which integrates the concepts of destination branding & its use in the economic betterment, especially of a rural tribal area. The study suggests that destination branding has several verticals and each vertical plays an important role in the economy of a particular area. Jaunsar Bawar was selected as the destination in this study, and the smart PLS method was applied to analyse 442 surveys and around 20 expert interviews collected from the natives & residents of Jaunsar Bawar. The findings provide a range of academic and practical implications.