Re-Establishing Jordan's Brand Trust in the Tourism Sector Using Experiential Marketing: A Post-Gaza Conflict Scenario

Introduction: Geopolitical conflict is increasingly becoming a significant obstacle for the recovery of tourism destinations, as it hinges on whether they can regain brand trust among risk-averse travellers. Nonetheless, there has been a lack of empirical studies on the role of experiential marketing in recovering brand trust based through the perceived safety during the post-conflict tourism situations. Methods: Quantitative data were collected from both domestic and international tourists and tourism service providers, and qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews with major stakeholders, including tourism officials, marketing professionals, and hospitality managers. Quantitative and qualitative data analysis were conducted using structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) and thematic analysis, respectively, following the methods of Braun and Clarke. Results: The findings of path coefficient analysis indicates that brand trust is highly predicted by the perceived safety (β = 0.748, p = 0.001). Feel positively has a substantial positive impact on trust (β = 0.085, p = 0.05), and a weak direct impact act positively (β = 0.094, p = 0.10). The dimensions of sense and think positively do not have direct effect on trust but they have a significant indirect influence which shows full mediation. Conclusion: The research has contributed to the literature on experiential marketing and brand trust in conflict tourism using a comprehensive safety-based framework. In practice, it provides evidence-based advice to policymakers and tourism practitioners on planning experiential strategies that enhance tourism recovery, destination resilience, and the re-establishment of international tourist confidence, and facilitates sustainable, long-term sectoral competitiveness in Jordan.