<![CDATA[Purpose: This study aims to examine the effects of brand love and service quality on brand loyalty and to investigate the mediating role of electronic word of mouth (e-WOM) in the context of diving tourism in Sabang City, Indonesia. Design/methodology/approach: This study employed a quantitative research design. Data were collected from 190 tourists who had visited diving tourism destinations in Sabang City and met the predetermined eligibility criteria. Respondents were selected using a purposive sampling technique. The hypothesized relationships among brand love, service quality, e-WOM, and brand loyalty were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS. Findings: The results reveal that brand love and service quality have positive and significant effects on brand loyalty. Both brand love and service quality also positively and significantly influence e-WOM, while e-WOM has a positive and significant effect on brand loyalty. Furthermore, e-WOM partially mediates the relationship between brand love and brand loyalty as well as the relationship between service quality and brand loyalty. These findings indicate that tourists’ emotional attachment and perceptions of service quality contribute to destination loyalty both directly and indirectly through positive digital word-of-mouth communication. Research implications: The findings extend the literature on destination branding and tourist loyalty by demonstrating the mediating role of e-WOM in linking brand love and service quality with brand loyalty within the specific context of diving tourism. From a practical perspective, destination managers, diving tourism operators, and local tourism authorities should strengthen tourists’ emotional connection with Sabang, improve the quality and safety of diving-related services, and encourage tourists to share positive experiences through digital platforms. These strategies may enhance destination loyalty and strengthen Sabang’s competitiveness as a diving tourism destination.]]>
