Abstract
Analyzing tourist destinations through management and marketing strategies allows tourist attractions to improve, reposition, or rearrange activity performance as new collaborative products. A comparative study on the Iberian World Heritage universities’ digital promotional strategies contributes to the understanding of best practices through destination benchmarking – evaluating and regulating performance (supply/push) – and bench learning – maintenance of high tourist satisfaction levels by offering services that meet visitors’ expectations (demand/pull). Additionally, the assessment of destination branding through TripAdvisor review – revisit intention and electronic word-of-mouth recommendation – gives insight into product performance. To reply to the research question, How do the Iberian world heritage universities shape their destination brand? the study draws a parallel analysis resultant of qualitative research: participant observation, digital media and social network analysis, as well as case study research. After conducting the theoretical review, visiting both properties, collecting onsite data, and characterizing the (co-)brands digital presence grounded by preceding research, the study reveals compelling knowledge on what aggregates, differs, and functions as influencing practice for both assets – management systems, tourism offerings, promotional communication strategies, and consumption culture – even though more profound acknowledgment on perception, attachment, and emotional impact on communities’ lacks understanding. Overall, the study demonstrates how destinations rearrange within rebranding efforts to compete within tourism preferences, strategically reposition amongst demographically defined tourist profiles, recreate online identity, and refresh destination image through digital presence, co-branded solutions, and communication technology initiatives.
Presenters
Germana TorresStudent, Ph.D. Student, CEGOT, University Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal Claudete Oliveira Moreira
Assistant Professor, Department of Geography and Tourism, University of Coimbra, Portugal Marianna Sigala
University of Newcastle, Australia
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2024 Special Focus—Tourism, Leisure and Change: Transforming People and Places
KEYWORDS
World Heritage Universities; Co-branding; Online Identity; Social Media and Networks
Digital Media
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