The Importance of Cultural Heritage in the Promotion of a Nation's Brand

Abstract

All countries desire to develop and improve their domestic and international image. This ambition supports policymakers, companies' managers, and citizens to establish a competitive identity, which challenges how place perceptions are formed and how countries might create and disseminate their unique identities. Cultural heritage can communicate a strong nation's brand identity with different stakeholders. This study aims to understand visitors' awareness of the world heritage (WH), how the level of familiarity with WH sites influences consumers' intention to visit them, and which are consumers' attitudes toward a site classified as world heritage. Findings show the need to increase familiarity and knowledge about the WH brand. This chapter contributes to a better understanding of the relationship between natural WH and visitors' perceptions and aims to help public decision-makers ensure culture is given its rightful place in development processes and strategies by protecting and safeguarding the world's cultural and natural heritage.