The Labyrinth of Sustainable Tourism Development: The Role of Place Branding Through Music

Abstract

This article examines music’s potential to contribute to the co-creative development of sustainable place branding efforts. It highlights how music can brand a place with a specific music identity and provide places with foundations of their resilient futures. The authors explore the case study of Labyrinth Musical Workshop, which gathers musicians from all parts of the world to a small village in Crete called Houdetsi. The study builds on ethnography data (fieldnotes, photos/videos), interviews with musicians, local inhabitants and hotel owners and digital ethnography tools including thematic analysis of hashtags and comments on the official social media accounts of Labyrinth Musical Workshop and the Cultural Association of Houdetsi. Findings reveal the challenges of sustainable tourism development and how music and place branding through co-creation can lead destinations towards resilience. The co-created experiences on offer highlight notions of community and co-belonging that inspire repeat visits, whereas the support of cultural and economic networks prioritize social–cultural and environmental rather than merely economic sustainability pillars.