Dimensions of Destination Branding (Promotional Efforts)
Hadi Razak Kareem
Supervised by Lect. Ahmed Naji Hussein
Due to globalization around the world, tourist destinations have also become highly competitive. Marketers, tourism developers, tourism service providers, and recently the state itself have become more keen to promote their tourist destinations and participate in a variety of branding initiatives such as using signs and logos to create an image that attracts targeted segments of tourists to their destinations (2005, Pike & Ryan, 2004; Blain et al). The availability of data and information that tourists need has also become an essential dimension of destination branding. Baloglu & McCleary (1999) found that the more diverse the sources of information used in advertising the destination, the more positive the contribution to the image. The same authors also point out that word of mouth is the primary source in shaping the destination image; therefore, providing a satisfactory experience for the tourist is of utmost importance. With the developments in information and communication technology, social media has become the tool that tourists resort to in order to obtain the information they need regarding the tourist destination they wish to visit. Those responsible for promoting the tourist destination have the ability to use the tool that enables them to draw a strategy that is consistent with the new trends of promotion in the global tourism market, and allows them to draw the features of the tourist destination with boldness and merit.
