Every destination needs an answer to: "Why should I visit here instead of there?" Without clear positioning, the destination competes on price — the weakest competitive strategy. With strong positioning, it competes on uniqueness — attracting visitors who want what only this destination offers.
Yet many DMOs struggle with positioning. Unlike product brands, destinations can't be designed from scratch. They contain thousands of independent businesses, diverse experiences, and complex stakeholder interests. Finding a unifying brand position that is authentic, distinctive, and broad enough to encompass the destination's full offer is one of DMO marketing's hardest tasks.
The Positioning Framework
Four Pillars of Destination Positioning
1. Identity: What defines this destination?
Not what it does, but what it is. Identity captures the essence:
- Cornwall = wild coast and creative culture
- Edinburgh = festival city and dramatic history
- The Cotswolds = quintessential English countryside
- The Lake District = romantic landscape and outdoor adventure
Your destination's identity should be expressible in a single sentence. If it takes a paragraph, it's not defined clearly enough.
2. Differentiation: What can visitors experience only here?
Every destination has some experiences available elsewhere. Differentiation identifies what's unique:
| Generic | Differentiated |
|---|---|
| "Beautiful beaches" (hundreds of destinations) | "Britain's only subtropical garden meets ancient harbour" (specific to Falmouth) |
| "Great walking" (everywhere) | "A 630-mile coastal path with more cliff scenery than anywhere in Europe" (South West Coast Path) |
| "Rich history" (common) | "The city where Darwin, Tolkien, and the Industrial Revolution were born" (Birmingham area) |
3. Audience: Who is this destination for?
Not everyone. Positioning requires choosing — and by extension, not choosing. A destination positioned for adventure couples aged 30-45 may not simultaneously position for budget coach tour groups.
Define 2-3 primary audience segments and build the brand position around their aspirations:
- What do they seek in a holiday?
- What language resonates with them?
- What imagery captures their imagination?
- Where do they get their inspiration?
4. Promise: What will visitors experience?
The brand promise bridges aspiration and reality. It must be deliverable — overpromising creates negative reviews and reputational damage.
Good brand promise: "Wild, authentic, and unhurried — a coast that works at nature's pace" (deliverable if the destination genuinely is this)
Bad brand promise: "The adventure capital of Britain" (unless you genuinely have more adventure activities than every other British destination)
Building Destination Brand Architecture
The Brand Hierarchy
Most destinations are complex — containing multiple areas, experiences, and propositions within a single brand:
[Destination Master Brand]
├── [Area 1] (sub-brand with distinct character)
├── [Area 2] (sub-brand with distinct character)
├── [Experience: Adventure] (thematic strand)
├── [Experience: Food & Drink] (thematic strand)
├── [Experience: Culture & Heritage] (thematic strand)
└── [Business Tourism] (separate audience, related brand)
Each sub-brand and thematic strand should be consistent with the master brand while having its own distinct personality. The master brand creates recognition; the sub-brands create relevance for specific audiences.
Brand Visual Identity
Destination visual identity differs from corporate branding:
| Element | Corporate Approach | Destination Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Logo | Dominant brand mark | Subtle — the destination itself is the visual identity |
| Colour palette | Brand colours applied to everything | Colours drawn from the landscape and character |
| Photography | Controlled, studio-quality | Authentic, atmospheric, seasonal variation |
| Typography | Uniform brand font | Personality-expressing, often handwritten or distinctive |
| Tone of voice | Corporate voice | Conversational, personal, locally inflected |
The most effective destination brands feel like the place, not like a marketing department.
Stakeholder Alignment
The Challenge
DMOs must align diverse stakeholders around a single brand position:
- Hotels want the brand to attract their target guests
- Attractions want the brand to drive footfall
- Restaurants want food tourism prominence
- Local government wants economic impact and community benefit
- Residents want a brand that represents their home authentically
The Process
Step 1: Research
- Visitor perception surveys: how do visitors currently describe the destination?
- Stakeholder interviews: what do businesses believe makes the destination special?
- Competitor analysis: how do competitor destinations position themselves?
- Market research: what do target audiences seek from a destination?
Step 2: Workshop Bring key stakeholders together to find common ground:
- What do visitors consistently praise? (This is your authentic position)
- What do all stakeholders agree is special about this destination?
- What claims can the destination genuinely deliver?
Step 3: Articulate Craft the brand position, voice, and visual identity based on research and stakeholder input. Present for feedback and refinement.
Step 4: Adopt Once agreed, the brand position guides all DMO marketing — content strategy, social media, trade engagement, PR, and campaigns. Provide brand guidelines and assets to stakeholders so they can align their own marketing.
Step 5: Embed
- Train trade partners on the brand story and selling points
- Provide stakeholders with brand-aligned content and imagery
- Monitor brand consistency across all channels
- Refresh annually based on visitor feedback and market changes
Measuring Brand Effectiveness
| Metric | What It Shows | Measurement |
|---|---|---|
| Destination awareness | Are target audiences aware of the destination? | Market research survey |
| Brand associations | What do people think of when they think of this destination? | Prompted and unprompted survey questions |
| Consideration rate | What percentage of aware prospects consider visiting? | Survey |
| Search volume | Are people actively searching for the destination? | Google Trends, keyword data |
| Social mention volume | Are people talking about the destination? | Social listening tools |
| Net Promoter Score | Would visitors recommend the destination? | Post-visit survey |
| Trade knowledge | Can agents articulate the brand position? | AI assessment |
| Brand consistency | Is marketing consistent across channels? | Brand audit |
Common Positioning Mistakes
Trying to be everything. A destination positioned for "adventure, relaxation, culture, nightlife, and family fun" is positioned for nothing. Choose your battles.
Copying the competition. If the next destination along the coast positions as "Britain's adventure coast," don't claim the same. Find what's genuinely different about your stretch of coastline.
Ignoring the truth. The best position is always grounded in reality. If your destination is quiet, rural, and traditional, don't try to position it as vibrant and metropolitan. Lean into what you actually are.
Changing too frequently. Brand positions take years to build. Changing direction every two years restarts the awareness-building clock. Refresh creative execution; maintain consistent positioning.
Confusing a campaign with a brand. "Visit [destination] this summer" is a campaign. "Where nature meets adventure" is a brand position. The brand should outlive any individual campaign.
Define your destination's position with TravAI →
This article is part of our DMO Marketing series. Related reading:
