Digital

Experience
&
Destination
Branding
Destination Branding in Industry 4.0:
Enhancing Brand Experience Systems by
Using Digital Touch Points
Smart Tourism
1

Destination
Branding
 do you know?
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.

technolo
gy
trends in
the
travel
industry
in the
past, now
, in
the futu
re
 The four CORE themes
Brand identity, Heritage Communication Designscape
image and /media and
personality infrastructure
Include discussions Research on place
around ‘tradition’ and brand representation The relationship
Places consist of
‘culture’, which embody on different digital between place
diverse touch platforms and the
heritage, but also branding and
points conventions and the espoused importance urban and rural
creative industries of integrated marketing
communication development
 These touch points consist of functional and experiential
attributes that form the places' hedonic and symbolic

Brand
characteristics.

These characteristics form the consumers' image of the

place and of the place brand (Zavattaro et al., 2015; Kock

identity, et al., 2016).

Several authors have stressed the need for the participation

image and consultation of residents and local stakeholders in the

generation of a place identity that recognises and
communicates the dynamic and contested social

and constructions that make the place.

Others have emphasised that destination image consists of
cognitive, affective and conative attributes and that these

person dimensions enable other stakeholders to characterise or

describe a destination.
Research needs to further explore the processes associated with
ality 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).
 In the context of tourism, gathering momentum is a stream
of research on destination personality (Ekinci and Hosany,

Brand 2006
Fuelled and underpinned by self-congruity theory (Sirgy and
Su, 2000), various studies have found that destination

identity, personality is associated with tourists' self-congruity and

can leverage perceived destination image and influence
tourists' behavioural intentions to: (re)visit, engage in word-

image 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).

and More specifically, a number of studies (e.g., Pan et al.,

2017) have examined the relationship between the

person 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).
ality 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.
 HERITAGE
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).
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).).
 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).

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.
 Communication
Media
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.
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.
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).
 Despite the complexities associated with the creation of

Designscape
successful designscapes, branding and regeneration can
overcome negative perceptions (Julier, 2005; Trueman et
al., 2008; Beckman et al., 2013; Oliveira, 2015a, 2015b).

and
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).

infrastructure 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.
2

Digital
Experience
Smart Tourism Technology
Key Elements
Smart consumers: how to behave in the digital era
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 tourism destinations: boosting competitiveness for
places
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 businesses: fostering cooperation and
resources among businesses
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.
 1.5

International
Africa

1.2

tourist 0.9
Asia and
Pacific

arrivals by
Amercias
Europe

0.6

world regions 0.3

A roadmap for destination management in the
digital economy
0
1950 1964 1978 1992 2006 2020
 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. 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.

Imagining Experiencing
Booking
Potential visitors begin to
imagine/dream of a new trip to a
They make a decision, select suppliers,
certain destination, and they seek
and book the trip.
inspiration from all types of
information and shared experiences,
both offline and online.

Sharing
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.
Planning
 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
15 87 465 950
Australia.com

Visit Britain
12 56 325 760
visitbritain.com

China National Tourist Office

8 39 174 580
cnto.org

Turespaña
10 78 384 804
spain.info

Finnish Tourist Board

11 81 529 862
visitfinland.com

The Dot-Com Bubble of the

DMOs
TICINO TURISMO

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.
 Brand Many touchpoints for a unique experience

TICINO TURISMO 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
Strategy merchandise.
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
 S W
(Strengths)
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.
(Weaknesses)
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).
OPPORTUNITIES & ACTIONS
Augmented reality
(AR)
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.
How Augmented Reality is
Revolutionising the Travel
Industry
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
3

CONCLUSION
Destination Digital
Branding Experience
high information content and tourists’ consumption experiences
intangible value throughout the entire customer
travel journey (planning, booking,
experiencing, and sharing)
 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
Digital technology and creative tourism Tourism

Digital technologies act in the co-

creative remaking of a city, revitalising
the material and socio-cultural fabric.
 STATISTICS

3 out of 5 out of
6 6
travel companies have tourists who rated their
ingrained digital techniques experiences 5 stars
in tourism industry
 ĐINH NGUYỄN ANH THƯ - ANNA DINH

THANK YOU!
Work email: @dnanhthu05@gmail.com