A research on the perception of destination Bulgaria by Danes: towards building new image and brand association
Author
Lyubomirov, Lyubomir Svetoslavov
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2017
Submitted on
2017-05-31
Pages
65
Abstract
This thesis examines how Danes perceive Bulgaria as a travel destination and how that perception could be broadened to support new image and brand associations. Building on a literature review of destination image, tourist behavior, and destination branding, the study adopts an inductive, qualitative design and combines an online survey of 31 Danish participants with a pilot study to surface initial associations and fieldwork interviews with Bulgarian tourism scholars and destination-management officials, including representatives from the Ministry of Tourism/BulgariaTravel. Findings indicate a narrowed image among Danish participants that centers on Sunny Beach, summer sun, and cheap alcohol, contrasting with destination managers’ efforts to communicate Bulgaria’s wider cultural, natural, and seasonal offerings. The thesis proposes an overall framework for image reconstruction and re-branding and outlines practical implications that can serve as a basis for future research and inform re-branding initiatives by local destination management.
Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan danskere opfatter Bulgarien som rejsemål, og hvordan denne opfattelse kan udvides for at understøtte nye image- og brandassociationer. Med afsæt i en litteraturgennemgang af destinationsimage, turistadfærd og destination branding kombinerer studiet en induktiv, kvalitativ tilgang med empiriske data: en online spørgeskemaundersøgelse blandt 31 danske deltagere, et pilotstudie til at afdække indledende associationer og feltarbejdsinterviews med bulgarske turismeforskere og destinationsansvarlige, herunder repræsentanter fra Turismeministeriet/BulgariaTravel. Fundene peger på en snæver opfattelse blandt danske deltagere, der primært forbinder Bulgarien med Sunny Beach, sommersol og billig alkohol, hvilket står i kontrast til destinationens bestræbelser på at formidle landets bredere kulturelle, naturmæssige og sæsonmæssige muligheder. Afhandlingen foreslår en overordnet ramme for image-rekonstruktion og rebranding og skitserer praktiske implikationer, som kan danne grundlag for fremtidige studier og understøtte rebranding-initiativer hos den lokale destinationsledelse.
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