Creating an urban brand to develop creative tourism using City Brand Management (CBM) model – The case of Junqan city

In the past few decades, branding has attracted plenty of attention in tourism planning. In globally competitive markets, the need of destinations to create a unique identity, that is, to differentiate themselves from competitors, has become more vital than ever. Tourism destination branding is a relatively new strategy in attraction of tourists because the brand gives the tourism destination identity and personality, and distinguishes it from other tourist destinations. According to the above, this study sought to address the role of the brand in the development of creative tourism and to help identify the city of Junqan, Iran as a brand using the city brand management (CBM) model. The research also attempted to specify the role and position of urban branding in the identification of the tourism in this city in terms of creativity.

Branding and urban branding A brand is a rich source of emotional communication and cognition that leads to memorable experiences of a place such as a city. Urban branding is a relatively new concept that cities have adopted to differentiate themselves from other cities, to develop civic pride among their citizens, and to help tourists and business owners make decisions. Branding a city requires recognition of and information on the believable and realistic features of the city. That includes the historical, social, political, and international identity of the city, how it functions economically, and its amenities. Urban branding has turned into an essential topic in the field of tourism and a main factor affecting the tourism industry. Successful branding for cities and urban tourism destinations is based on their potentials and talents, so that the possibility of replacing it with other destinations is excluded. Creative tourism Creative tourism means to travel to an original, exciting experience and to learn art, get to know the heritage or special features of the place, and establish a relationship between tourists and locals. A creative tourist develops their creativity capacity by approaching locals through informal participation in interactive workshops and learning the experiences that the destination culture plots for their vacation. In creative tourism, tourists engage in the cultural prospects of the destination, so that they can participate in various creative activities including agriculture, art, cooking, dance, and music. That creates new opportunities to learn new skills and establish closer relationships between tourists and locals and their cultural heritage.

In the present applied, development-oriented research, a theoretical framework was first presented for the field of urban branding and creative tourism, and the role of urban branding in tourism was expressed using the methods of descriptive and library research for data collection. Then, the key factors influencing the generation of an image of Junqan and identification of its brand for development of creative tourism were studied using the city brand management model (CBM), the library method, and semi-structured interviews with urban and tourism experts. The interpretive analysis method was also used for analysis of the interviews.

The purpose of branding in tourism is to create and maintain a favorable image of the destination, increase tourists’ awareness, create positive attitudes toward the destination, and modify tourists’ behavior of visiting the destination. In addition to its positive economic aspects, the development of tourism in Iran can lead to a rapprochement between people of different nationalities. The study attempted to create a brand and manage it for the city of Junqan by examining the concepts of brand, urban brand, and creative tourism using the urban brand management model. The brand can help the city to enhance each of the indicators of creativity, leading to the development of creative tourism. The findings demonstrated that Sardar Asad Bakhtiari Castle was identified as the brand of the city of Junqan. For development of creative tourism aided by the city brand, a tourism route was provided that combined the historical and natural sights of the city to create innovative products and attract entrepreneurs who would find competitive advantages over other destinations. This could reflect the reputation and vision of the city around the world and support and guide creativity in the city, leading to the promotion of tourism, exports, and investment in the city.

We are currently facing the changing needs of tourists around the world, looking for new experiences and seeking to discover their talents. Urban branding is a strategy adopted to add a competitive advantage by providing a clear picture, cultural and political importance, and economic and social development. The main purpose of the discussion was to generate greater appeal for investment and to attract tourists and potential residents with an emphasis on community development and reconstruction of local identity in Junqan. Therefore, the achievement of the research could be addressed in terms of the dimensions of creative tourism. In the field of cultural development and measures, we attempted in this research to introduce, develop, and apply the people’s traditions, customs, and clothing, arts, and handicrafts and to introduce the way of life and interactions of the civil society in order to provide the requirements of tourism in Junqan. Moreover, with today’s development of technology and the information society, the need to employ talented native specialists having graduated in urban management is felt more than ever before. The development of public spaces to increase interactions and establish exhibitions is another infrastructure needed in the city of Junqan, which is in line with the development of creative tourism. Each of the above factors can be important and helpful both in the management and in the economy of the city, so they can be considered in line with the role of the brand in the development of creativity in tourism in Junqan.