Entrepreneur Orientation and Marketing Performance of Tourist Destination: The Role of Trust of Interorganizational Network Reconfiguration as Mediating Variable

Abstract

Introduction: Destination marketing performance is increasingly recognized as a critical factor for tourism sector success amid growing global competition. Innovation and proactiveness are two internal organizational behaviors that are believed to have significant roles in enhancing competitiveness. Meanwhile, trust-based organizational networking is considered a key external factor in optimizing marketing outcomes. However, the interconnected relationship among these variables remains underexplored, especially within the context of tourism destinations.

Objectives: This study aims to examine the effect of innovative behavior and proactiveness on destination marketing performance, with organizational networking as a mediating variable. The research seeks to provide empirical evidence regarding the strategic role of trust-based networks in strengthening marketing efforts.

Methods: The research employed a quantitative approach using Partial Least Squares (PLS-SEM) to test the proposed model. Data were collected through questionnaires distributed to 100 respondents representing destination management organizations, with data analysis performed using SmartPLS software.

Results: The findings show that innovative behavior and proactiveness positively and significantly influence destination marketing performance. Furthermore, organizational networking based on trust mediates these relationships, enhancing the impact of innovation and proactiveness on marketing outcomes. The results support the notion that internal capabilities and external networks must synergize to achieve sustainable marketing performance.

Conclusions: Organizations aiming to improve destination marketing performance should prioritize fostering internal innovation and proactiveness while simultaneously building trust-based networking. A strategic combination of internal and external capabilities enables organizations to adapt faster and achieve higher competitiveness in an increasingly dynamic tourism environment.