Strategic Perspectives in Destination Marketing by Mark Anthony Camilleri

Author:Mark Anthony Camilleri
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: IGI Global

In this context, it is crucial that the perceptions that tourists hold of a destination as a result of their indirect experiences do not conflict with the perceptions arising from their direct experiences. Otherwise, the process of destination image formation will be seriously harmed by the gap between the place brand identity and the destination image.

CONCLUSION

Attracting tourists to an almost unknown destination entails great challenges to place brand managers. How can a destination brand stand out in the crowd and make itself attractive to tourists, investors or people looking for a new place to live or settle a business? One way is to market the destination as unique and authentic.

Indeed, the rising interest on place branding is linked to the need to design more effective place branding strategies. Multiple reasons justify this political need: attract foreign investment, talented or skilled manpower and visitors. Consequently, a destination brand is considered a valuable asset for urban development and significant investments have been made worldwide to promote several places.

Nevertheless, destination brands as a product are the result of a continuous and interactive process between governmental agencies and a plethora of stakeholders. At different levels, the stakeholders contribute to the creation of unique and distinct place brand associations, which are linked to the economic, social, cultural, political and technological aspects of the place. In order to develop a sustainable and long-term place brand strategy, it is crucial however to reflect an authentic sense of place into a strong and coherent place brand identity.

Authentic destinations rely on its core values, mission and personality to convey its place brand identity. From a strategic point of view, authentic destinations express its brand promise consistently in all brand touching points. The destination brand does not rely on the massification of tourism as a product. Instead, it grows in a sustainable manner relying on the multiple and daily actions of its internal and external stakeholders.

Departing from the Porto brand case study, this chapter discussed the concept of place brand identity from the supply-side perspective. Consequently, it is proposed an authentic-based approach to place identity theory, in which destination authenticity is pointed out as a key driver to create a strong place brand identity. Moreover, it is suggested that place brand managers should follow an eight-stepwise approach to branding a destination. This dynamic view of place identity, which is supported by a continuous co-creation process involving local and external stakeholders, allows place brand managers to mirror and reinforce the destination authenticity.

Case Study Porto: A City Opened to the World

Porto means harbor. A harbor that is open to the world, to new cultures and to new ideas. In 2012, during the mandate of the Mayor Rui Rio, Porto was elected the Best European Destination. It was the first international recognition of a city that combines history, modern and ancient architecture, gastronomy and wines, and authenticity in welcoming tourists. All of these ingredients, together with low cost flights offerings and a new airport, attracted a bunch of tourists to visit a peripheral and unknown European city.

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