Destination branding

In recent decades, the marketing of tourist destinations has become increasingly competitive. Therefore, tourism marketers are resorting to various branding techniques to create a distinct image that differentiates the destination from its competitors. Although destination branding is a new concept, there is a general agreement among academicians and practitioners that places can be branded in much the same way as consumer goods and services. Various countries including India have adopted such destination brand building strategies. Even though India's initiatives began in a structured manner only in the 1990s, yet the 'Incredible India' campaign has succeeded in establishing it on the world tourism map. The state of Madhya Pradesh (MP) in central India, too, also has immense tourism potential. The only challenge is that it is not marketed well enough. This paper discusses the role of branding in destination marketing strategies of the state and concludes that an integrated approach to destination branding would be more appropriate for marketing MP as an attractive destination.