Destination Brand Research Articles

Which destination brands among nation, city, and event brands benefit from hosting mega-events? Before-after comparison of three destination brands for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics

Which destination brands among nation, city, and event brands benefit from hosting mega-events? Before-after comparison of three destination brands for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics

Navigating the Digital Landscape: Evaluating the Impacts of Digital IMC on Building and Maintaining Destination Brand Equity

In the evolving realm of digital marketing, digital integrated marketing communication (IMC) has emerged as a critical factor in building and maintaining brand equity for sustainable tourism destinations. This research examines the impact of digital IMC consistency and interactivity on establishing destination brand equity, while exploring the interconnections among its various dimensions. Grounded in both empirical and theoretical frameworks, this study collected data via an online questionnaire administered to 435 users of online travel agencies, which was analyzed through Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The results demonstrate that customer-perceived digital IMC (consistency and interactivity) exerts a significant positive influence on destination brand equity, uncovering the intricate dynamics among destination awareness, image, perceived quality, and loyalty. Notably, destination loyalty is influenced by destination awareness through destination image and perceived destination quality, with destination image having a more significant impact than perceived destination quality. This research is significant in constructing knowledge of IMC in the digital tourism marketing paradigm, shedding light on how the consistency and interactivity of online communication affect various consumer brand equity outcomes. Additionally, it provides valuable insights into digital tourism practices and sustainable development, enriching the discourse regarding how digital IMC enhances destination brand equity.

Developing Destination Brand Equity for Achieving Sustainable Destination Environment: S‐O‐R Theory to Influence Tourists’ Environment Responsible Behavior

The excessive use of natural resources and irresponsible behavior of tourists have posed severe threats to sustainable destination environment. In response, destination managers have been paying more attention to environmental protection and focusing on strategic ways to achieve a sustainable destination environment. Objective of the study is to analyze the influence of destination brand equity (DBE) on tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior (ERB). The study considered four dimensions of DBE, including perceived destination awareness, quality, image, and loyalty. Further, the study explored the interrelationship among the dimensions of DBE and considered perceived destination loyalty (PDL) as a mediator. Further the study explained tourists’ ERB with the serial mediation of perceived destination trust (PDT) and moderation of destination green equity (DGE). The study employed a self-administrative survey method, and data were gathered from 911 respondents who attended selected nature parks. Results for DBE indicated insignificant effect of perceived destination awareness (PDA) on tourists’ ERB, while perceived destination quality (PDQ) and perceived destination image (PDI) have a significant impact on tourists’ ERB. Further results indicated that PDL has significantly mediated all three dimensions of DBE. The results also revealed that PDT and PDL serially mediated the effect of PDA, PAQ, and PDI on tourists’ ERB. Finally, moderation results indicated that DGE significantly moderated the effect of PDQ, PDI, and PDL on tourists’ ERB. The study has enhanced the existing literature on destination branding and tourists’ ERB through Stimuli‐Organism‐Response (S‐O‐R) model. The study has proposed significant branding strategies for destination management to influence tourists’ ERB. The study has also suggested strategies for policymakers and tourism departments.

Bonding with the destination brand during crisis: the role of message consistency

PurposeThis paper studies the process by which tourists establish relationship quality with the destination brand in a crisis situation and the role that message consistency pursued through integrated marketing communications (IMC) has in this process.Design/methodology/approachRelationship quality was analyzed through three key marketing variables: satisfaction, trust and commitment. The impact of message consistency on relationship quality was tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).FindingsResults confirm the interplay between the three relationship quality dimensions and suggest that message consistency directly influences tourist satisfaction and trust in destination service providers, with its impact on affective commitment being mediated by satisfaction.Research limitations/implicationsThis research study is limited to only one geographical context and one type of destination stakeholders.Practical implicationsMessages that consumers receive about a destination brand through multiple touchpoints must be consistent and non-contradictory to reduce consumers' uncertainties during the crisis.Originality/valueThis paper examines an underinvestigated research area of the effects of IMC on consumer–brand relationship outcomes in tourism. The study has a number of theoretical and practical implications for destination marketers during and beyond a crisis situation.

From likes to luggage: The role of social media content in attracting tourists

The tourism industry has become increasingly information-driven where tourists need reliable information to make their travel decisions. Social media content creators have emerged as prominent figures in disseminating authentic and credible information about tourist destinations worldwide. However, scant attention has been paid to explore the role of social media content in influencing tourist inflows and tourist engagement with tourism-related content on social media. To fill this gap, the present study utilized three social media analytic tools: VidIQ, Tubebuddy, and Social Blade, to collect data pertaining to tourism-related content across six tourist destinations in the Arabian Gulf region. The results indicate that these six tourist destinations collectively attracted 47 million visitors in a single year while garnering 158 million views on YouTube. Our findings indicate that tourists’ consumption of tourism-related content on YouTube directly relates to the number of tourists visiting a destination. In addition, the present study also finds that destination popularity leads to higher number of video views on YouTube as well as higher numbers of tourists to the destination. Furthermore, the current study delineates the role of content creator characteristics in influencing user engagement with tourism-related content. The present study offers valuable insights for destination management organizations, tourism operators, tourism industry stakeholders, content creators, social media marketing managers and destination brand managers.

DIGITAL INFORMATION’S INFLUENCE ON FORMING TOURISM EVENT IMPRESSIONS: THE INTERPLAY OF GENDER AND TOURISM TYPES

Digital information plays a crucial role in shaping tourists' expectations and impressions of potential destinations and activities. This study explores how perceptions of digital information vary across different tourism experience types (adventure, leisure, cultural) and examines the complex interactions between digital information perception and tourism engagement. A survey was conducted among tourists actively participating in various tourism types to collect data on their digital information consumption habits and their influence on their overall perceptions. The findings reveal that leisure and adventure tourists demonstrate a stronger initial reliance on digital information compared to cultural tourists. However, all tourism types exhibit negative interaction effects, suggesting diminishing returns of digital information as engagement increases. Specifically, leisure and adventure tourism show stronger positive main effects on digital information perception compared to cultural tourism. Interestingly, leisure and adventure tourism also display more pronounced negative interaction effects than cultural tourism. These insights suggest that destination marketers should employ nuanced, personalized strategies catered to specific tourism types, considering the varying levels of digital information reliance and the changing needs of tourists as their engagement progresses. For leisure and adventure tourism, this may involve front-loading comprehensive digital information, while cultural tourism may benefit from a more consistent information flow throughout the experience. These tailored approaches could enhance destination brand affinity and improve the overall tourist experience across different tourism segments.

Food for Thought in Malaysian Borneo: Data Mining and Sentiment Analysis of Tripadvisor Reviews for Online Destination Branding

Unique destination branding in tourism is crucial to gaining a competitive advantage. Local food is a significant component of a destination brand which Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) must integrate into their official marketing efforts. DMOs must monitor the popularity and perception of their food promotions against the competition. Online promotion and management are challenging due to the rise of user-generated content. Automatic data mining techniques were used to determine the extent to which tourist food choices on TripAdvisor matched foods promoted by DMOs and how distinct these choices were from a rival DMOs’ promotion. We compared online food promotion between the Sabah Tourism Board and the Sarawak Tourism Board. We developed a software system to automatically extract food branding business intelligence from TripAdvisor restaurant reviews. The application of web crawling and scraping technology was applied to extract data and use Sentiment Analysis for interpretation. Online foods promoted by DMOs for each region were found to contain only a few common dishes, but these were more popular than region-specific foods. Significantly different distributions of food choices were found for each region. Some potentially useful differences between foreign and domestic tourists and locals were also identified. Sentiment analysis revealed hidden information in reviews useful for potential food destination branding. Findings from TripAdvisor confirm practical suggestions for improving brand distinctiveness found in the literature. This study is the first to develop an actual system that DMOs could use to estimate the online popularity of their promoted foods and those of their competition.

Tourists’ Perceptual Positioning of Brand Equity and Competitive Relationships in Organic Agricultural Tourism

In the face of a highly competitive tourism market, when tourists hold positive brand equity towards a destination, it enhances the destination’s ability to differentiate itself from competitors. This study focuses on the brand equity of organic agricultural tourism, using multidimensional scaling (MDS) to explore the factor structure of brand equity and the perceptual positioning of various tourism destination brands. The research targets tourists engaging in organic agricultural tourism in the Hualien and Taitung regions, with 220 valid questionnaires collected. The research findings indicate the following: 1. Among the 22 brand equity items, “loyalty to organic agricultural tourism”, “awareness of organic agricultural products”, “quality of organic agricultural products”, “environmental sustainability”, “image of healthy tourism”, and “recognition of organic agricultural development” scored the highest. 2. The analysis revealed that the brand equity factors are ranked in the following order: BIHS, BACI, BPQ, BLO, and BAW. 3. Through MDS analysis, the five organic agricultural tourism destinations were categorized into high, medium, and low brand equity groups, illustrating the differentiated competitive relationships among these destinations. The top three factors influencing the brand perceptual maps were BAW, BIHS, and BPQ. The results of this study can serve as a reference for future research on brand equity in organic agricultural tourism and provide a scientific basis for the practical application of shaping brand equity and formulating competitive strategies.

Effect of popular culture on tourism firms' market value:A destination brand equity perspective

Popular culture provides numerous benefits to destinations, enhancing their image, reputation, and sales. While previous research on its impact on tourism has predominantly focused on individuals’ perception and behavior toward a destination, little attention has focused on its potential spillover effect on the tourism and hospitality firms. This spillover can create destination brand-related intangible assets that positively influence firm value. Based on the customer-based brand equity theoretical framework, this study reveals that popular culture significantly affects the firm value of the tourism and hospitality industries, with notable effects observed two days after the event. Individual companies operating under the umbrella brand of a destination gain advantages from the improved brand knowledge associated with that overarching brand. The findings also highlight that the unique characteristics and nuances of popular cultural content, such as its genre, popularity scope, and celebrity effect, play a crucial role in shaping the magnitude of its impact.

Travel through dynamic landscapes: Exploring key factors in developing visual identities for destination brands

The competitiveness of destinations is significantly shaped by innovation and experimentation, exemplified by applying Dynamic Visual Identities (DVI) in branding practices. This study aims to define the key factors most considered in developing destination brands with dynamic visual identities. Our research analysed 53 international cases in which designers employed dynamic visual strategies. Commitment, sustainability, and complexity factors were identified in our analysis. Participation through DVI enables different stakeholder groups to be involved in the creative process, making the destination more attractive to visitors and residents also. This research offers a unique perspective in respect of the intersection of design communication (DIS:CO) and tourism.

Destination brand authenticity to destination brand engagement in tourism destination

This study examines Destination Brand Engagement (DBE) in the context of tourism primarily focusing on its outcomes rather than its antecedents. This study differs from previous studies in examines the impact of destination-centric drivers and tourist-centric perspectives. Specifically, this study explores how destination brand experience and destination brand authenticity (DBA) influence DBE. The results obtained from 352 tourists as sample and tested using structural equation modeling techniques revealed that destination brand experience and DBA positively and significantly influence DBE, along with discussions of significant managerial and theoretical implications.

Unlocking the relationship between destination brand value and tourists' intentions to visit: A case study in Quang Binh province

This study aims to explore the factors that constitute the concept of destination brand value and analyze the influence of these elements on tourists' intention to choose a destination. The destination is seen as a brand that builds and maintains a unique venue image, enhances its competitive position and attracts visitors to this destination. Vietnam has much potential to attract tourists with its scenic landscapes and historical cultural relics. However, since COVID-19, attracting tourists has yet to be able to compete with other countries in the region such as Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines. How can Vietnamese destination brand value be improved to compete in attracting tourists? To answer the above research question, a quantitative approach was applied. Data was collected from 295 tourists intending to visit Quang Binh, a central province of Vietnam with many famous natural, cultural and historical attractions. Through exploratory factor analysis, research results show that three factors of brand value impact the online travel experience: destination image brand quality, destination brand awareness and destination brand image. This study confirms the positive relationship between online destination brand experience and destination intention to visit. Some implications are proposed for managers in the tourism industry to improve the competitive advantage of the Quang Binh destination brand.

Events as a Strategy to Enhance Destination’s Brand: Millennium Estoril Open Case Study

This research, based on a case study, aims to examine the contributions of the Millennium Estoril Open, a tennis event (ATP 250), to enhance and promote the Cascais destination brand. To such end, an empirical study was conducted in the 2019 edition, using a mixed data collection methodology through the application of questionnaires to spectators, interviews with stakeholders, and direct observation at the event. Results suggest that this event contributes to enhancing the destination brand, despite the identification of some limitations. The contribution of this sport event to the enhancement of the destination’s image cannot be dissociated from the portfolio of events promoted by the region and from its consistency and regularity.

STRATEGY FOR IMPROVING ECOTOURISM BRANDING THROUGH MANGROVE BATIK IN BLIMBING MALANG

This community service activity aims to help ecotourism business actors to increase visits through destination branding strategies. The problem faced by ecotourism business players is that business income has barely developed, especially after the pandemic. One of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise sectors affected is hand-written batik. This assistance and training was provided to the Malang Mangrove Batik MSME Group, which consists of 40 members of Batik entrepreneurs throughout Malang City Regency. The lack of visitors and purchasing power which is still only starting to increase after the pandemic also has an impact on the income of MSMEs. Apart from that, several problems with mangrove tourism are caused by not optimal social media branding, lack of cooperation from local communities for branding, lack of information on tourist destinations in mass media, lack of massive campaigns on social media, lack of understanding of the potential and uniqueness of mangrove tourism, etc. have a mangrove tourism promotion strategy plan. This activity seeks to restore income for MSMEs through a destination branding strategy for mangrove batik ecotourism. One of the efforts made is branding mangrove batik. This activity includes 5 stages starting from market analysis, brand identity, brand launch and introduction, brand implementation, and monitoring/evaluation. The results of branding activities show a significant increase in awareness of mangrove batik both in terms of brand, engagement and market segmentation.

Sustaining the brand and branding sustainability: landscape as homeland in Greenland’s visual marketing

Arctic destinations are continually reshaping their global identities to manage external expectations about the region. Existing portrayals of Greenland often stereotype the area as untouched wilderness or oversimplify its social, economic, and cultural realities. Our study combines visual analysis of cultural landscape and cultural ecosystem services (CES) to unveil a novel narrative in Greenland’s sustainable tourism branding we termed ‘landscape as homeland’. Empirically this research is based on the photographic database of Greenland’s national destination marketing organization. We explore Greenland’s destination branding as a strategic tool to define local meanings of sustainable tourism, homeland, and “Arcticness” in a branding that distinctively positions itself amidst Arctic destinations. Using pictured landscape as a dwelling place discerns locally valued CES, and realigns tourist engagements toward a culturally and ecologically integrated relationship. Applications of these findings extend to other rapidly changing regions seeking to expand economic opportunities, harnessing the synergy between destination branding and sustainable tourism. We reflect on the efficacy of our integrated CES and cultural landscape research to reveal local framings of the tourism-sustainability tension. We highlight the role of destination marketing organizations to bridge the gap between local identity, visitor expectations, and sustainable tourism development.

The Implementation of Tourism Communication for Developing Tourismpreneurship and Destination Branding in Cijengkol Village, Subang

Cijengkol Village in Subang Regency boasts significant local tourism potential, including the Cijengkol Seven Springs known for its water pH resembling infused water, and River Tubing, a popular activity along the upper stretch of the Ciasem river. This community service initiative aims to promote understanding of tourism entrepreneurship and destination branding, vital for harnessing local potential and enhancing regional tourist attractions. By encouraging environmental responsibility and fostering collaboration in developing regional tourism, the program seeks to empower Cijengkol Village residents. Effective tourism communication skills are seen as key to unlocking economic opportunities indirectly. The initiative addresses two main challenges: a lack of awareness regarding tourism's potential as a key sector, affecting micro, small, and medium enterprises, and underutilization of modern digital media for tourism communication. The approach involves specialized training for community members, particularly those involved in Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMDES) and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Cijengkol Village. The outcome includes the formation of Tourism Awareness Group (Pokdarwis) candidates who understand a tourism vision and mission aligned with SMART goals for sustainable tourism management. Consequently, the candidates are equipped with collaborative concepts and strategies for tourism management in Cijengkol Village, serving as a foundation for future implementation.

The role of sports on destination branding: A bibliometric study

The role of sports in place branding is growing interest in literature. To orientate future research on this topic, the present paper aims: (a) to measure the visibility and impact of the scientific production on the topic, and (b) to identify the scientific structure by research themes, as well as its evolution in two different periods. To this end, 135 papers linking sports with a destination image were retrieved from the Web of Science. Two periods were compared (2003–2012; 2013–2022). Our results show future research opportunities for (a) new small-scale sporting events beyond big mega-events; (b) residents’ perspective beyond tourists’ approach, (c) sports focused on minority audiences beyond football and the Olympics, (d) studies focused on European countries, beyond Brazil, China, USA and Israel; (e) a higher focused on sports teams and clubs beyond sports events; and (f) attention to public administrations responsibilities beyond private companies.

뷰티의료관광의 기대, 지각된 가치 및 행동의도: DSC (관광목적지-자아일치도)의 조절효과를 중심으로

Purpose: In-depth research has been conducted, focusing on the beauty as one of the pursuits of tourists, particularly in the context of cosmetic surgery tourism. Beauty medical tourism should provide not only excellent medical services but also tourism programs at destination where enhance effective treatment. Therefore, this research argued the significance of destination brand management by verifying that tourist’s self-congruity is related with variables such as expectation, perceived values and behavioral intention. Methods: Based on the Meaning Transfer Theory (MTT) and the Destination Self-Congruity (DSC) theory, research model was designed. A survey was conducted targeting Chinese women tourists who share a substantial portion of the South Korean beauty medical tourism market. Total 340 valid samples were collected for a month from April in 2023. Using SPSS 18.0 and Smart PLS 4.0 packages, measurement model’s reliability and validity were tested. Structure model’s model fit and path analysis were conducted. Results: The empirical analysis revealed several significant findings: Expectation of beauty medical tourism had a significant impact on perceived values (Hypothesis 1). Perceived values of medical tourism significantly influenced behavioral intention (Hypothesis 2). Beauty medical tourism DSC had significant moderating effects on perceived values, and behavioral intention, partially. (Hypothesis 3). In specific, DSC have moderating effect, leading external perceived value to behavioral intention. Conclusion: To induce potential medical tourists to visit, how to brand the beauty of DSC, or medical tourism destinations where medical services are provided, and how to match this with potential tourists self-congruity are the key to realizing beauty medical tourism.

Navigating negative events: the role of online destination brand experience in tourists' travel decisions

PurposeThis study addresses tourists' post-consumption perspectives on the impact of online destination experiences and animosity on travel decisions. Developing a framework based on the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) theory, we examine the previously unexplored relationship between post-negative events, online destination brand experience (ODBE), tourists' animosity and destination boycott intentions within the domestic tourism context.Design/methodology/approachData from 355 actively engaged domestic travelers in Pakistan who follow destination social media pages (i.e. Instagram and Facebook) was analyzed using structural equation modeling.FindingsThe findings reveal that post-negative events ODBE significantly stimulate tourists' animosity, which in turn drives destination boycott intentions. The ODBE indirectly affects boycott intentions through animosity, acting as a partial mediator. The analysis highlights the significance of the users' prior experience levels (novice vs experienced). Multigroup analysis shows that novice visitors are more sensitive to negative online experiences, resulting in stronger animosity than experienced visitors. Animosity significantly drives boycott intentions, particularly among experienced visitors.Originality/valueThis study’s novelty lies in its comprehensive examination of post-negative events, focusing on how the ODBE influences tourists' negative emotions and boycott intentions. These findings offer valuable insights for tourism researchers and destination marketers, underscoring the importance of optimizing post-service failure ODBE strategies for brand repair, online reputation management, digital marketing innovation and customized service recovery to mitigate the impact of negative events.

Marketing Communication Strategies of Tourism in @Oasis Sukabumi Increasing Tourist Visits

Marketing communication strategy is one of the factors that greatly influences the number of visitors at a tourist attraction because it is a design for how to influence the public in various ways so that people know, are then interested in visiting and even revisiting for tourists who have already visited. This research aims to find out and find the formulation of an oasis tourism marketing strategy in Sukabumi Regency. The research method uses case studies. The results of the research show that the marketing and public relations division of Oasis Nature Tourism in conducting tourism marketing uses integrated tourism marketing communications (marketing communication mix), but several aspects such as promotion, human resources, development of small and medium business units and media relations are still weak, so they need to be strengthened. and further guidance accompanied by evaluation and monitoring regarding these aspects. One thing that needs to be developed in the long term is to try to form the branding of tourist destinations to further increase the attractiveness of tourist visits.