Place Branding or Tourism?

As made clear by Efe Sevin, our guest speaker in class this week, place branding is distinct from public diplomacy. However, is it any different from tourism?? If place branding deals with the image and reputation of a given place is this not just the work of a country’s Ministry of Tourism or like institution? If consulting customers are most likely to be small cities and chambers of commerce, it would seem to me that place branding is about giving a particular location meaning –creating the perception that this is a place that you should want to visit. In this case, what is it good for?

Public diplomacy is about creating relationships between governments and/or foreign audiences; therefore creating solidarity and gaining trust and worldwide support. Place branding seems to be more geared to the commerce of a location- a way to advertise so that the locale gets more visitors and in turn more money through fresh waves of tourism and spending. Perhaps branding is more significant for tourism and investment than necessarily a competition for hearts and minds. Foreign audiences may enjoy traveling to your country and enjoying the sites and foods; but if they don’t agree with the policies and actions being taken by the government, there is still plenty of room for discontent with the country. Simon Anholt notes that place branding only happens when the infrastructure of a country is changed… perhaps this is the missing link that is necessary for making place branding more than an effort to boost tourism.