From destination brand to location brand

Abstract

Destination marketing organisations, often with government support, have traditionally been responsible for promoting their respective locations. A number of authors are now suggesting a review of this responsibility. The claim is that destination marketing and the destination brand have the limitation of being tourism focused only and often preclude major stakeholders in a location. The more holistic approach of location or place brand management is gaining interest. The aim of this paper is to identify the literature calling for reform of destination marketing practices as well as the growing body of literature addressing location brand management. A distinction between destination brand and location brand is made, followed by the identification of potential areas of research relevant to the brand management of locations.