The primary objective of this research is to investigate and analyze the effective indicators on the brand of health tourism destinations using a combined DEMATEL (Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach in Kerman City. This study is applied in purpose, as it aims to implement and test theoretical concepts in examining the indicators influencing the brand of Kerman's health tourism destination. In terms of data collection, it is a descriptive research. The statistical population includes experts in health tourism and visitors to Kerman City for medical purposes. A researcher-developed questionnaire was used for field data collection. To propose a network model of factors affecting health tourism in Kerman, the DEMATEL method (via MATLAB 2019 software) was employed, and the proposed model was validated using Structural Equation Modeling (via Smart PLS 3 software).

The results of the DEMATEL method led to a network model encompassing the following dimensions:

• Perceived quality of the tourism destination

• Brand image of the tourism destination

• Perceived value of the tourism destination

• Brand awareness of the tourism destination

• Loyalty to the tourism destination brand

The results obtained based on expert opinion analysis showed that the destination brand loyalty factor (C5) has the most interaction with other factors and was identified as the most important factor. The SEM results revealed that the perceived value of the health tourism destination had the greatest impact (beta coefficient: 643%) on loyalty to the health tourism destination brand in Kerman City. The lowest level of impact belongs to the factor of awareness of the health tourism destination brand, equal to 0.322, on the level of loyalty to the health tourism destination brand of Kerman city.