PROJECT PROPOSAL

Title of the Project : A STUDY OF DESTINATION

BRANDING IN TOURISM INDUSTRY

Name : Yash Gurudas Satam

Programme Code : BTS
Course Code : PTS 06
Enrolment No. : 176713652
 INTRODUCTION

Most of the destinations (Country, state, city) worldwide are competing for more and

more tourism, in which their image as a tourism destination plays an important role.

Branding is a method that can help the destinations to create a desired image, and

influence tourists to visit the destination on the basis of that desired image. In addition,

branding is the process of differentiating one‘s product from its competitor. Research has

shown that nations that brand themselves internationally as good tourist destinations have

affianced in a severe competition to pull more and more tourists into their respective

destinations. Thus, role of branding here is to attract more and more inward tourism to a

destination. Therefore, destination branding is becoming a very hot and burning topic

nowadays in tourism industry.

These days, marketers and managers have to manage a wide and complex structure of

brands, which is known as the brand architecture of the organization. For a successful

branding of a destination where there are many states and union territories, it is very

essential to build an appropriate architecture. A right architecture or framework would

help in branding the destinations which consists of many states in a clear and smooth

way. Therefore, it is very essential for a destination to brand itself on the basis of some

specified architecture which would brand and communicate the desired image of a

destination in a non-confused way so that tourists should know that what expectations

they should carry before their visit.

These days, globalization and the increased pace of stressful lives have encouraged the

people to seek holiday for taking a break, exploration, spiritual refreshment and
adventure. These changes in global environment, technology, standards of living, income

level, and stressful lives motivated people to travel countries worldwide. For this reason,

places are facing global competition for the same set of tourists.
 RATIONALE OF THE STUDY
The increasingly competitive nature of the tourism industry and the global economic

scenario has made countries aware of the importance of destination branding which is to

differentiate themselves from their competitors. These days, places are using various

branding techniques to develop their branding. Branding is done to create a strong and

positive image of a country or any destination to the outside world. Branding is a method

that helps a particular destination to create a distinguished and desired image, and

therefore destination branding is becoming an essential topic for the tourism industry.

Destination branding represents and distinguishes a particular place from several

competing places. Also, Destination brands are quite often used as a marketing

instrument to attract potential tourists in a particular place and increase awareness of

that destination. Therefore, there is a need for the destinations to switch from simple

marketing to destination branding.

 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
Following objectives are formulated for the proposed study:

• To define the concept of branding and destinations in tourism industry.

• To analyze the role of destination branding in tourism industry.

• To determine the challenges of destination branding in tourism industry.

• To understand the different phases of destination branding in tourism industry.

 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research methodology is a way to systematically investigate the research problem. It

gives various steps in conducting the research in a systematic and a logical way. It is

essential to define the problem, state objectives and hypothesis clearly. The research

design provides the details regarding what, where, when, how much and by what means

enquiry is initiated. The researcher must have an objective understanding of what is to

be done, what data is needed, what data collecting tools are to be employed and how the

data is to be statistically analyzed and interpreted. There are a number of approaches to

the design of studies and research projects all of which may be equally valid. Research is

a systematic attempt to obtain answers to meaningful questions about phenomenon or

events through the application of scientific procedures. It an objective, impartial,

empirical and logical analysis and recording of controlled observation that may led to

the development of generalizations, principles or theories, resulting to some extent in

prediction and control of events that may be consequences or causes of specific

phenomenon. Research is a systematic and refined technique of thinking, employing

specialized tools, instruments and procedures in order to obtain a more adequate solution

of a problem than would be possible under ordinary mean. Thus, research always starts

from question. There are three objectives of research factual, practical and theoretical,

which gives rise to three types of research: historical, experimental and descriptive.

Research design has been defined by different social scientists in a number of ways. All

these definitions emphasize systematic methodology in collecting accurate information

for interpretation. Selltize et al. (1962) expressed their views as, “Research designs are

closely linked to investigator’s objectives. They specify that research designs are either
descriptive or experimental in nature.” Research design tells us how to plan various

phases and procedures related to the formulation of research effort (Ackoff Russell,

1961). Miller (1989) has defined research design, “as the planned sequence of the entire

process involved in conducting a research study.”

The present study is based on secondary data only. Secondary information sources shall

include journals, research papers on destination branding, newspapers, internet,

magazines, books on destination branding and reports from Ministry of Tourism of India.

In addition to this, the secondary data will also be collected from EBSCO, EMARALD,

ABI INFORM, and Google, books on destination branding / marketing, articles and case

studies on destination branding of various countries which are successful in tourism.

 REFERENCES
• Anholt S., ―Brand New Justice: How Branding Places and Products can Help the

Developing World‖, Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford.

• Beerli, A., Martin, J.D., ―Factors influencing destination image‖. Annals of

tourism research.

• Instagram,Facebook travel vloggers and bloggers, TLC and other lifestyle

channels

• De Chernatony L., Riley F., "Modelling the components of the brand", European

Journal of Marketing.

• Fyall A., Leask A., ―Destination Marketing: Future Issues — Strategic

Challenges‖, Tourism and Hospitality Research.

• Zerrilo, P.C., Thomas, G.M., ―Developing brands and emerging markets: An

empirical application‖ , Place Branding and Public Diplomacy.