Although there is increasing interest in place and destination branding, the inter-disciplinary nature of the field poses challenges for the development of a coherent knowledge base. With a view to informing both research and practice, this article presents a systematic review combining place and destination branding, identifying and defining its core themes, and developing a conceptual map of the inter-play between them. The following key themes are identified: general, brand identity, image and personality, politics, heritage, communication/media, country-of-origin, and designscape and infrastructure. The slides conclude with an agenda for further research including the need for research on specific themes across a wider range of place entities.

1. Destination Branding in Industry 4.0:
Enhancing Brand Experience Systems by
Using Digital Touch Points
D i g i t a l
E x p e r i e n c e
&
D e s t i n a t i o n
B r a n d i n g

2. Smart Tourism

3. D e s t i n a t i o n
B r a n d i n g
1

4. technology
trends in the
travel
industry in the
past, now, in
the future
Mobile apps, contactless payments and IoT devices are just
some of the technologies trending in the travel and tourism
industry. Technology can change the way people travel,
providing convenience, safety and fewer touchpoints.
do you know?

5. Places consist of
diverse touch
points
Brand identity,
image and
personality
Heritage
Research on place
brand representation
on different digital
platforms and the
espoused importance
of integrated marketing
communication
Communication
/media
Designscape
and
infrastructure
The four CORE themes
The relationship
between place
branding and
urban and rural
development
Include discussions
around ‘tradition’ and
‘culture’, which embody
heritage, but also
conventions and the
creative industries

6. These touch points consist of functional and experiential
attributes that form the places' hedonic and symbolic
characteristics.
Several authors have stressed the need for the participation
and consultation of residents and local stakeholders in the
generation of a place identity that recognises and
communicates the dynamic and contested social
constructions that make the place.
Others have emphasised that destination image consists of
cognitive, affective and conative attributes and that these
dimensions enable other stakeholders to characterise or
describe a destination.
Brand
identity,
image
and
person
ality
These characteristics form the consumers' image of the
place and of the place brand (Zavattaro et al., 2015; Kock
et al., 2016).
Research needs to further explore the processes associated with
successfully engaging stakeholders in committing and
contributing to coherent and unified place identity/ies, as a basis
for effective target group-specific sub-brand communications
strategies (Zenker and Braun, 2017).

7. In the context of tourism, gathering momentum is a stream
of research on destination personality (Ekinci and Hosany,
2006
Brand
identity,
image
and
person
ality
Fuelled and underpinned by self-congruity theory (Sirgy and
Su, 2000), various studies have found that destination
personality is associated with tourists' self-congruity and
can leverage perceived destination image and influence
tourists' behavioural intentions to: (re)visit, engage in word-
of-mouth, and develop ties with a place (Zavattaro et al.,
2015; Papadimitriou et al., 2015; Usakli and Baloglu, 2011;
Kock et al., 2016; Pan et al., 2017).
More specifically, a number of studies (e.g., Pan et al.,
2017) have examined the relationship between the
place brand personality and place brand image of
tourism destinations, often using the original or
adapted versions of Aaker’s (1997) brand personality
scale (Hanna and Rowley, 2019).
Through personality, perceptions of places can be unearthed,
analysed in light of the place's functional and experiential
attributes, and positioned relative to other place entities.

8. As active promoters of local development,
national and regional governments have
come to recognise the contribution and
significance of culture and its
interrelationship with place regeneration
(Ulldemolins and Zamorano, 2015).
HERITAGE
One of the goals of urban and cultural-
policy making is to promote the authentic
(distinguishing) feature(s) of the place; the
more relevant and specific the cultural
narrative regarding the past and the
present, the more symbolically charged it
becomes, in turn allowing the place to gain
competitive advantage (Evans, 2003;
Kavoura, 2013).).

9. HERITAGE
In addition, regeneration initiatives spurred,
for instance, by successful Olympic bids may
not always serve the needs of existing
communities but rather encourage
gentrification (Evans, 2003; Gold and Gold,
2008), and may be viewed as a top-down
approach lacking in community validation
(Zhang and Zhao, 2009). Hence, future
research needs to focus on the processes
associated with the management of the house-
of-brands related to a place.
In practice, using heritage for branding places often
centres on events, including sports and food
festivals. Such events are not purely related to
short-term economic gains but are valuable
opportunities for promoting the place's identity and
cultural values. The challenge is to articulate an
accurate fit between the event, and the destination's
image (Xing and Chaplin, 2006; Gold and Gold,
2008; Zhang and Zhao, 2009; Lee and Arcodia, 2011).

10. Communication
Media

11. Communication / Media
Websites are typically managed by commercial
organisations (Trueman et al., 2012) and city
councils (Florek et al., 2006). Social media sites
may be owned by a wide range of interested
parties (travel experts, travel websites and
individual enthusiasts), and feature resident or
tourist created content (Munar, 2011; Sevin, 2013;
Oliveira and Panyik, 2015).
In contrast, Trueman et al. (2012) found that
unified brand communication was not achieved in
Bradford because company brands had
disassociated themselves from the city brand, as a
result of the city's negative reputation. Hence, there
is scope for further research into the practices
associated with, and the factors that hinder,
coordinated and consistent communications.

12. Communication / Media
A number of studies have recognised the need to monitor
communications on websites and social media. Florek et al.
(2006) found that on city council websites in New Zealand,
practices differed significantly, but none were judged as
‘especially distinguished’. Using a web content mining
approach, Koltringer and Dickinger (2015) assert that one of the
challenges is that different types of information sources (online
travel communities, social travel guides and blogs, and DMO
websites) have different communication goals, and provide
different destination representations.
Social media with its diversity of platforms presents a particular
challenge for monitoring the communication associated with a
place. Multiple voices can air their assorted opinions on a place,
and at times, this ‘chatter’ is likely to undermine any ‘formal’
communications about the place.
Hence, there is considerable scope for further research into how
social media impacts on impressions of the place and its brand,
both ‘in-the-moment’, and over the longer term, and for the
development of tools to monitor place brand identity on
websites associated with the place.

13. DESIGNSCAPE AND
INFRASTRUCTURE
This includes both design
hardware, such as
buildings, and emotional
software or brand identity
programmes, as
communicated through
literature, websites,
slogans and other
platforms (Julier, 2005).

14. Designscape
and
infrastructure
Despite the complexities associated with the creation of
successful designscapes, branding and regeneration can
overcome negative perceptions (Julier, 2005; Trueman et
al., 2008; Beckman et al., 2013; Oliveira, 2015a, 2015b).
Moreover, consideration of the creative aspects of
diversity, ethnicity and demographics in city
neighbourhoods enhances brand value alongside
generating a sense of wellbeing (Trueman et al., 2008).
Others have explored the impact of mega-events such as
the Olympic Games on regeneration, city re-branding
and changing urban agendas (Gold and Gold, 2008), and
the Eurovision Song Contest in generating direct and
indirect income from visitors, and improved
destination image (Arnegger and Herz, 2016).
Hence, it is important to develop approaches for the
measurement of place brand-equity, based on investment
attractiveness (Bose et al., 2016; Jacobsen, 2009).
Moreover, further research is needed into the factors and
processes associated with successful coupling of re-
branding with designscape and infrastructure in a range
of urban and rural settings.

15. Digital
Experience
Smart Tourism Technology
2

16. Key Elements
RThe smart tourism concept predicts that travelers are smart in terms of
having a super-connected experience. Thus, offshore development teams
have worked with tourism companies to apply advanced technologies to
custom apps. Moreover, smart tourists are well-informed travelers
interested in sustainability and responsibility. Smart consumers share
data and innovations through smart devices; therefore, they co-create
their tourism experiences.
Smart consumers: how to behave in the digital era
The smart tourism concept helps foster cooperation and
share resources among business sectors such as airlines,
transportation, etc. Smart businesses incorporate data
and modern technologies to support marketing,
profitability, and competitiveness. Smart businesses
fully integrate internal and external data from the
cloud and get real-time data from internal sensors.
For example, smart businesses have operated various
software applications such as property management
systems (PMS), point of sale systems (POS), customer
relationship management systems (CRM), etc. Moreover,
hospitality operators also get data from hotel rooms,
restaurants, lobbies, and temperature and light sensors
to provide customer insights.
Smart businesses: fostering cooperation and
resources among businesses
The concept of smart tourism destinations is from smart city concepts in
which people integrate with mobility, living, people, government, and
economy. Executing the smart tourism concept in a destination is crucial
since tourists interact with destinations. It leads to the demand for
co-creating products and value for all tourists. Smart tourism
destinations refer to innovative tourism attractions built on state-of-
the-art technology infrastructure and facilities. Thus, it facilitates
the interaction and experiences of tourists.
Smart tourism destinations: boosting competitiveness for
places

17. Amercias
Europe
Africa
Asia and
Pacific
1.5
1.2
0.9
0.6
0.3
0
International
tourist
arrivals by
world regions
A roadmap for destination management in the
digital economy
1950 1964 1978 1992 2006 2020

18. Imagining
Booking
Sharing
Planning
THE NEW TOURIST JOURNEY
NEW TRAVELERS ARE PERMANENTLY CONNECTED USING MOBILE AND SOCIAL MEDIA, AND THESE NEW
CHANNELS ARE MODIFYING THEIR “CUSTOMER JOURNEY” IN A SPECTACULAR WAY.
Experiencing
Potential visitors begin to
imagine/dream of a new trip to a
certain destination, and they seek
inspiration from all types of
information and shared experiences,
both offline and online.
They make a decision, select suppliers,
and book the trip.
They share their experiences, both
positive and negative, with friends and
followers, becoming either
ambassadors or detractors of the
brand.
They research transportation,
accommodation, and activities using
various sources of information. They
identify various suppliers and compare
them using data and opinions available
in comparison tools, forums, etc.
They enjoy the trip, in an experience
that goes from the preparatory phase
before the travel, to the trip itself, to
the memories made while traveling. If
the experience meets or exceeds
travelers’ expectations, they may
become repeat customers.

19. The launches and number of visitors of official
destination websites
Number of visitors are in thousands.
2000 2005 2010 2020
Official destination websites
Tourism Australia
Australia.com
15 87 465 950
Visit Britain
visitbritain.com
12 56 325 760
China National Tourist Office
cnto.org
8 39 174 580
Turespaña
spain.info
10 78 384 804
Finnish Tourist Board
visitfinland.com
11 81 529 862
The Dot-Com Bubble of the
DMOs

20. In 2018, Ticino Turismo, the official DMO of the canton, embarked on a great innovation journey that led
them to a complete rebranding after 36 years. The new brand considered many different elements and the
process of design thinking was used as a means to co-create the new narrative and branding, collaborating
with stakeholders from all the provinces of the region. This was a total digital transformation, and the many
different micro-experiences, stories and emotions within the destination are reflected in the new brand you
see today.
TICINO
TURISMO

21. Brand
Experience
Strategy
Many touchpoints for a unique experience
We have applied the new brand identity on many
other supports, both digital and physical: the
website, the new magazine, the posters and the
merchandise.
TICINO
TURISMO

22. Ticino Turismo - Rebrand
Ticino and its identity are:
Authentic: connected with its heritage
and territory
Different: multiple, multi-faceted,
colourful
Amazing: it dazzles visitors evoking
great emotions
Carpe diem: there are many small
special moments to experience and
share

23. S
(Strengths)
W
(Weaknesses)
It is vital for a business to effectively
utilize online advertising, social media,
blogs, and online purchasing to help
convenience their customers, especially when
your competitors are doing the same thing.
Computer systems allow communication between
larger hotel chains with multiple locations to
connect easier. They also help keep staff on
the same page and make it easier to access
information, making your guests experience
much better. Guest requests, housekeeping
information, and reservations can all be found
on one system.
Mobile tablets and smartphones have replaced
large desktop computers, making them virtually
extinct. This is helpful because many
travelers take some type of mobile device with
them on a trip. This helps hospitality
businesses keep customers advised of changes
and delays to their reservations, offer
deals, and advertise by using GPS tracking.
Many people who worked in the hotels as
managers, waiters, and cooks, as well as those
in the tourist industry such as tour guides,
lost their jobs to cut the cost and by
utilising the internet.
Proliferation has increased on the internet.
Many tourist websites are available on the
internet. This is a challenge especially to
small and medium tourist enterprises that
possess inadequate skills and knowledge in
website efficiency.
Intermediaries that are used to link the
customers to various businesses provide
another challenge on the internet. They are
paid for their services hence leading to low
profits, revenue, and homogeneity of the
websites (Alexis, & Buhalis 2007, p. 389).

24. Augmented reality
(AR)
How Augmented Reality is
Revolutionising the Travel
Industry
OPPORTUNITIES & ACTIONS
AUGMENTED REALITY IS SIMILAR TO VIRTUAL REALITY, BUT INVOLVES
AUGMENTING A PERSON’S REAL SURROUNDINGS, RATHER THAN REPLACING THEM.
ONE OF THE MAJOR PLUS POINTS OF THIS PARTICULAR TECHNOLOGICAL TREND IS
THAT IT IS CHEAPER THAN VR, WITH USERS REQUIRING ONLY A SMARTPHONE OR
TABLET DEVICE WHICH HAS ACCESS TO THE INTERNET.
THROUGH GRAPHICAL OVERLAYS, THOSE IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY CAN GREATLY ENHANCE
THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE, PROVIDING CUSTOMERS WITH VALUABLE INFORMATION OR
EVEN PURE ENTERTAINMENT. FOR INSTANCE, APPS CAN ALLOW FOR PHOTOGRAPHS TO BE
AUGMENTED THROUGH FILTERS AND EFFECTS. DETAILS ABOUT LOCAL DESTINATIONS CAN
ALSO BE DISPLAYED AS A CUSTOMER POINTS THEIR SMARTPHONE AT THEM, PROVIDING
INFORMATION AT THE EXACT TIME THAT IT IS MOST RELEVANT.
PERSONALIZED
TRAVEL WITH AR

25. CONCLUSION
3

26. Digital
Experience
Destination
Branding
high information content and
intangible value
tourists’ consumption experiences
throughout the entire customer
travel journey (planning, booking,
experiencing, and sharing)

27. Main ideas
It is suggested that while the internet
can allow suppliers in a destination to
come together to create a strong
centralized site, the internet can also
facilitate a stronger presence for
individual tourism suppliers in the
marketplace, who are now able to
reach their potential markets more
directly.
Technology Innovation as a Destination
Branding Tool for Festivals and Events
Tourism
Digital technologies act in the co-
creative remaking of a city, revitalising
the material and socio-cultural fabric.
Digital technology and creative tourism

28. STATISTICS
3 out of
6
travel companies have
ingrained digital techniques
in tourism industry
5 out of
6
tourists who rated their
experiences 5 stars

29. ĐINH NGUYỄN ANH THƯ - ANNA DINH
THANK YOU!
Work email: @dnanhthu05@gmail.com