Challenges for interregional place branding for cruise tourism in the black sea region

Abstract

In terms of dealing with the appeal of a group of areas to visitors, destination branding involves spatial-dynamic processes which transform perceptions of partnership and the practice of tourism policy across different scales. At each place, reputation management for tourism purposes depends on the awareness of benefits associated with mutual actions and knowledge exchange by stakeholders from the public and the private sectors. However, the institutional and operational implications of collaborative brand building among traditional or emerging destinations transcend both the borders of a single locality or region and the thematic scope of tourism marketing. They actually pose challenges which require solid understanding of common aspirations in relation to reputation management at a large geographical scale. In this respect, the development of an interregional destination brand aimed at systematic tourism planning and market share gains becomes an integral aspect of interregional place branding based on consensus building among actors from various sectors and locations. This chapter explores how the development of a brand for cruise tourism in the Black Sea Region is incorporated into a wider context of conditions and factors that shape interregional place branding in the same area. The discussion is informed by the experience of similar initiatives in the Baltic Sea Region and the Mediterranean. Without ignoring how the overall approach to cruise tourism is affected by geopolitical conditions, a key element of the analysis is the value of transnational partnerships including public authorities and organized interest groups. Particular emphasis is given to how brand building for cruise tourism emerges through processes that fall within and outside the geographical area in question. In the first case, the establishment of a unified brand identity is seen as a matter of embracing multiculturalism and integrating historical aspects of the Black Sea Region into a network of attractive destinations for cruise passengers. In the second case, the recent appearance of the Black Sea Region in the geography of cruise industry entails that the promotion of a unique identity does not occur in a vacuum, but is closely related to developments elsewhere in the major Mediterranean market. While the chapter attempts to shed light on the interrelationship of a place and a destination brand, empirical evidence from secondary and primary sources is used to show the dynamic nature of brand-building processes in a rather complex segment of the tourism market with various interactions taking place among areas, interests, and policies.