The Role of The Marketing Mix in Achieving Sustainable Competitive Advantage: (An Exploratory Study in The Ministry of Culture, Tourism & Antiquities)

The current research aims to identify role of the marketing mix(MM) in achieving sustainable competitive advantage in the Ministry of Culture, Tourism & Antiquities through an exploratory study of the opinions of a sample of managers. This stems from the importance of the marketing mix as a strategic tool that contributes enhancing the ability of tourism organizations to survive and adapt within changing competitive environments. The research adopted the marketing mix as an independent variable with seven dimensions represented by (service/product, pricing, distribution, promotion, processes, people, and physical environment), whereas sustainable competitive advantage(SCA) was adopted as dependent variable with its dimensions represented by (efficiency, quality, creativity, customer responsiveness, cost, flexibility, and superiority). The research adopted the exploratory analytical approach, whereby (103) questionnaires were distributed to the administrative leaders in the Ministry of Culture, Tourism & Antiquities, of which (96) valid questionnaires were retrieved for statistical analysis using the program (SPSS V.28). The results of the research revealed the existence of a statistically significant effect of the marketing mix on achieving sustainable competitive advantage, as the coefficient of determination reached (R² = 0.689), indicating the ability of the marketing mix to explain a large proportion of the variance in sustainable competitive advantage. The results also demonstrated that the dimensions of distribution, physical environment, and processes were among the most influential dimensions in enhancing the competitive capability of the Ministry, whereas promotion appeared as the least influential dimension compared with remaining dimensions. The research recommended the necessity of developing digital promotional activities, strengthening integration among the elements of the marketing mix, and paying greater attention to developing the service environment and human capabilities in a manner that contributes to achieving competitive sustainability and improving the quality of the tourism and cultural services provided.