Destination branding is one of the key instruments in destination marketing. The article shows that we should end the dance around this golden calf sooner than later.
Only a few are claiming that branding is not one of the key instruments in destination marketing. A destination must be positioned in the market, and guests should get a clear picture of what is going on, and what values, etc., a destination embraces. In short, destinations should have an emotional and thus binding meaning for their guests.
I allow myself to raise my critical voice at this point: Let's stop burning our budgets specifically for destination branding. Why? Because I think we've all gotten a wrong picture for years. Let me bring forward some arguments to explain how I come to this conclusion.