Digital destination branding: A framework to define and assess European DMOs practices

The current tourism scenario is complex, marked by deep crises and changes due to Covid-19 pandemic impacts. Tourist destinations more than ever need to assert their brand on the global market. This paper proposes a framework for setting up destination branding choices in the digital realm and for measuring the choices made by tourism players such as Destination Marketing Organisations (DMOs). This study proposes a Digital Destination Branding (DDB) framework drawing from the academic literature and practitioners’ perspectives. This framework is organised on three dimensions in which the main digital branding choices are grouped to promote a tourist destination, engage visitors and offer them services for a superior visiting experience: Social Network Presence (SNP), Social Network Content (SNC) and Digital Tourism Services (DTS). Each of these pillars is based on multiple items and micro-items. Assigning scores to each element of the framework allows for measuring compliance with the model’s requirements for digital destination branding. Applying our proposed framework, the empirical component of the study provides a comparative evaluation of the DDB practices of the 2021 top 10 European destinations. The results provide an overview of how DMOs are currently using digital channels and tools for destination branding.