Resumen de The Alps: challenges and potentials of a brand management
Harald Pechlaner, Frieda Raich, Anita Zehrer
A tourist destination can be defined as a spatially encompassed unit comprising individual products, complex activities, and experience opportunities. To succeed in the international tourism market any destination has to create a brand concept, which serves as an umbrella and shows the identity, personality, and distinctiveness of the destination. The European Alps are one of the most important recreation areas of Europe with about 370 million arrivals. Millions of people in the urban areas around the Alps (e.g., Milan, Munich, etc.) spend their holidays in this destination. In this respect, the Alps are highly renowned and to a certain extent reflect a complex brand. The authors chose the Alps as it is an excellent example for umbrella branding that appears as typical in tourism. The article aims at analyzing the values and attributes entrepreneurs of four-star hotels in the Alpine regions of Tyrol, South Tyrol, and Trentino are attributing to the Alps and communicating in their marketing strategy. The survey shows that there largely is consensus on how accommodation providers perceive the Alpine destination.
