1. Introduction

Geotourism in mountainous areas, particularly in rural contexts, as an emerging form of sustainable tourism, plays a significant role in local economic development, the conservation of geological and cultural heritage, and enhancing interactions between tourists and local communities (Dowling & Newsome, 2017; Williams et al., 2024; Muslim et al., 2022). Destination attractiveness in this type of tourism is influenced by multiple factors, including mental image, services, facilities, and cultural and natural experiences, and destination brand personality serves as a key marketing tool that can shape tourists’ perceptions, satisfaction, and loyalty (Ekinci & Hosany, 2006; Pérez-Tapia et al., 2025; Shi et al., 2022; Tiago et al., 2021; Pereira et al., 2018; Roy, 2024). Despite numerous studies on branding and destination attractiveness in urban destinations and geoparks, few studies have directly examined the impact of destination brand personality dimensions on the multidimensional attractiveness of rural–mountainous geotourism destinations (Aguilar et al., 2014; Hamdy et al., 2024; Tiago et al., 2021; Kchikach et al., 2023; Tizzoni, 2015; Shafiei et al., 2017; Pereira et al., 2015). Accordingly, the present study, focusing on Kandovan Village—a prominent example of mountainous geotourism in Iran with unique rock-cut architecture and geological heritage (Hajirasouli et al., 2021; Rezapouraghdam et al., 2020), examines the impact of destination brand personality dimensions on perceived attractiveness of geotourism destinations and provides practical recommendations to enhance tourists’ experiences and promote sustainable destination development (Giampiccoli & Azgomi, 2023).



2. Methodology

This study investigates the relationship between destination brand personality and the attractiveness of geotourism destinations in mountainous areas, focusing on Kandovan Village. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional design and PLS-SEM, data were collected from 337 tourists via structured questionnaires. Destination brand personality (excitement and authenticity) serves as the independent variable, destination attractiveness (services, facilities, and visit experiences) as the dependent variable, and gender as a moderating variable. Kandovan, located at the foot of Mount Sahand in East Azerbaijan, features unique volcanic “Karan” formations and rock-cut architecture, representing a significant integration of natural and cultural heritage. As a destination in the development stage of Butler’s tourism life cycle, coordinated strategies are needed to ensure sustainable tourism growth while preserving the village’s authenticity.



3. Results

The descriptive analysis indicated that the sample comprised 30.35% men and 69.64% women, with the majority aged 31–50 years (37%) and 67% married. Most respondents (64.85%) had visited Kandovan five times or more. Inferential analysis using PLS-SEM confirmed the reliability and validity of the measurement model, with all factor loadings above 0.5, Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliability exceeding 0.7, and AVE values above 0.4, while discriminant validity was supported through Fornell-Larcker criteria. Structural model evaluation demonstrated significant positive effects of destination brand personality dimensions—excitement and authenticity—on both service/facility attractiveness and visit experience attractiveness (β ranging from 0.204 to 0.401, p < 0.01). The model explained a moderate portion of variance in dependent variables (R² ≈ 0.31) and showed strong predictive relevance (Q² > 0.30), with an overall GOF of 0.451 indicating a good fit. Moderation analysis revealed that gender did not significantly influence the relationships between brand personality dimensions and destination attractiveness.



4. Discussion

The findings of this study indicate that the dimensions of destination brand personality, namely excitement and sincerity, have a significant positive impact on the attractiveness of geotourism destinations in Kandovan village. The excitement dimension, by highlighting dynamism, boldness, and diverse mountain-geotourism activities, creates an engaging and stimulating experience for tourists, significantly enhancing their perception of the destination’s services, facilities, and visual attractions. On the other hand, the sincerity dimension, emphasizing honesty, a sustainable and nature-aligned environment, preservation of cultural and natural attractions, and provision of traditional lodging experiences, enhances the quality of the tourism experience across visual, environmental, and cultural aspects, allowing tourists to have an authentic and profound interaction with nature and local culture. The results also show that gender does not play a significant moderating role in the relationship between brand personality dimensions and destination attractiveness, indicating that the tourism experience is uniform and inclusive in this natural and mountainous destination. These findings align with previous studies on mountainous and geotourism destinations and underscore the importance of developing brand personality dimensions, offering stimulating activities, and preserving authenticity and environmental sustainability to enhance tourist experiences and strengthen the destination brand.



5. Conclusion

Based on the study’s results, enhancing the attractiveness and tourism experience in mountainous geotourism destinations like Kandovan requires a focus on strengthening the destination brand personality dimensions of excitement and sincerity. Excitement contributes to creating an engaging and stimulating experience, while sincerity enhances the quality of the experience in visual, environmental, and cultural dimensions. The uniformity of the tourism experience across genders highlights the importance of designing inclusive experiences tailored to the environmental and cultural characteristics of the destination. Therefore, developing exciting geotourism activities, preserving authenticity and natural environments, and providing high-quality services and facilities can significantly enhance tourist satisfaction, loyalty, and positive long-term behaviors, serving as a foundation for sustainable planning and marketing in mountainous geotourism destinations.