A Long Forgotten Jewel : Branding and Imaging of a destination

Abstract: The tourism industry is constantly growing and is one of the most expansive industries today. The tourism industry generates many jobs which in they turn generate revenue for the destinations. But in order to take part of this revenue, destinations must first attract the tourists. This is done with destination imaging and destination branding which means that the image and the brand of a destination are playing a significant role. The purpose of this thesis is to examine different aspects of imaging and branding of a destination. In what way they are affecting a country, what impact they have and how they can be manipulated. Terms imaging and branding are of great importance especially for post war countries that have a negative past. Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country that until recently was associated with war. To change their image Bosnia and Herzegovina should first distance themselves from their negative past. This thesis has a deductive approach which means that the research is based on different forms of literature and interviews. The conclusion of this thesis is that a destination can change their past, from something negative to something positive. But in order to this, a lot of hard work is required.