Managing destination brand vs. location brand: conceptual and practical challenges

• Main Authors: Boban Melović, Vanja Kljajević
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: University of Kragujevac, Faculty of Hotel Management and Tourism in Vrnjačka Banja 2017-12-01
• Series: Mенаџмент у хотелијерству и туризму
• Subjects: brand; destination; location; identity; tourism
• Online Access: http://www.hit-vb.kg.ac.rs/htmanagement/index.php/HITM/article/view/3/2

Destination branding has become an unavoidable topic in both professional literature and practice of the organisations responsible for the tourism promotion. However, aside from the tourism context, the principles of brand management can be applied to locations (villages, cities, regions, countries) that include a broader range of industries in order to achieve total economic growth of a country. The aim of this paper is to address conceptual similarities and differences in managing destination brand vs. location brand through the review of relevant literature from this area. Likewise, the specifics of the destination brand are presented, as well as a new paradigm in place branding based on place – identity dynamics. The paper combines exploratory research approach with the inductive and deductive reasoning – abductive approach. Furthermore, qualitative research methods, together with a causal approach, have made a better examination of the investigated issues possible.