Can marketing create destination personality? The case of Macau

Abstract

Purpose The paper aims to study Macau’s brand and destination personality. The data are derived from 91 semi-structured interviews with visitors to Macau at points of departure such as the airport and ferry terminals. Macau is perceived as hospitable and friendly, but complexities and ambiguities exist as the city is a fusion of Western and Asian cultures and locates gaming with a Portuguese heritage. Indeed one informant described the city as an “old person with a young spirit”. Given this, the final discussion is concerned with the concepts of anthropomorphic attributes associated with destination personality when applied to a destination, whereas managerial implications are identified with reference to a need to overcome some deficiencies in a perceived coldness in interactions with industry personnel.