مقاله انگلیسی رایگان در مورد میراث فرهنگی و برندسازی ملت – تیلور و فرانسیس 2022

Abstract

     This paper aims to explore how cultural heritage knowledge leverage country branding and contribute to developing a competitive identity. More specifically, we try to understand the role of visitor experiences and the community’s engagement in this dynamic process. The study focused on Portugal’s country brand and the Portuguese cultural heritage market. Based on the content analysis of the interview scripts of public decision-makers, museum/site managers, academics, and a tourism entrepreneur, the study offers exploratory findings regarding the roles performed by public entities and other institutions and the means used to attract visitors to heritage sites and encourage the engagement of the different ‘actors’ in cultural heritage experiences. Results indicate that cultural heritage represents a dimension of country identity and a driving factor of the tourism sector for Portugal.

Introduction

     The notion of nation branding gained attention in the last years when academics and policymakers started to approach country reputation in the same way as companies and products’ brand images. Simon Anholt coined the concept of nation branding in 1996 (Dinnie, 2008). Later, Anholt (2008) refers to an abusive commercial appropriation of the term that excludes other important aspects of a national identity, which also contribute to the formation of a country brand image. Therefore, Anholt proposes the notion of competitive identity. The competitive identity concept represents a wide approach to the country image. It encompasses the interactions and dynamics between the political and economic competitiveness contexts. These interactions can be accessed into six dimensions – exports, government, tourism, culture, people, and immigration & investment – which constitute the ‘Nation Brand Index’ developed by Anholt in 2005. The Anholt’s Nation Brands Index approaches country image by examining these six dimensions of ‘national competence’ (Nation Brands Index Report for Scotland, 2018). Each dimension contributes equally to the formation of the country brand reputation. In particular, the cultural dimension includes several aspects, namely global perceptions of a nation’s heritage and the country contemporary culture. The dimension of tourism captures the motivations essentially to visit the country. More specifically, its natural beauty, historic buildings, environment, and cities atmospheres.

Conclusion

     This exploratory study seeks to shed light on the link between a nation’s heritage and country branding, more specifically, Portugal nation brand. Portugal is one of the oldest countries in Europe, with an interesting and unique history. However, Portugal’s country image and its touristic image are much associated with the beaches, fado, and football, and less with its ancestry and patrimony (Custódio & Gouveia, 2007). As the studies specifically focused on the Portuguese context are still scarce, it was important to learn from the empirical experience of these cultural heritage decision-makers and their perceptions forged on the direct contact with tourists and visitors. This can also be a contribution of interest for managers of other countries in the process of building a strong nation brand image. Therefore, our purpose was to explore this link and decipher some avenues for future research.