Fifth International Conference on Tourism & Leisure Studies

Abstract

Tourism destinations employ logos as part of their branding architecture. Logos are a simple means of establishing a brand identity, communicating brand messages, and connecting with target audiences. Often embedded in these logos are themes intended to help establish meaning about the destination. Some of the embedded themes are overt and easily recognized, but others are subtler and may not be recognizable for audiences who are less familiar with a destination. The tourism logos for over 240 destinations were reviewed and themes embedded in the logos were assessed. While assessing the logos for themes, respondents were also asked about their familiarity with the destination. The results were compared to determine the extent to which familiarity with the destination helped explain the identification of themes. For example, the tourism logo used by Bermuda is a stylized font of the destination name in a bright pink color, and the logo for Iceland includes blue lines or ripples of waves with a red wavy line in the middle of the blue lines. For Bermuda, individuals familiar with the destination may recognize the pink font in the logo as a nod to the famous pink sand beaches of Bermuda, whereas those familiar with Iceland’s volcanic origins might connect the red wavy line amidst the blue lines as a reference to volcanic lava. But for audiences unfamiliar with these destinations, the meanings embedded in the logos may get lost, which raises the questions about the efficacy of the logo for tourism purposes.