Marketing on the level of public administration and local government is becoming to be more important in last years. This thesis deals with one of the area of marketing, specifically destination marketing. In the Czech Republic, destination marketing is implemented at several levels -- national, regional and local. Attention in this thesis is devoted mainly to the regional level of destination marketing. The first part provides with a theoretical basis for this issue and explain concept of "destination marketing" as well as marketing and communication mix of the region. Than marketing strategy, brand and image of the region are described. The main part of the thesis consist of evaluating and comparing the implementation of destination marketing in Central Bohemia, Pilsen region and Liberec region. Regional tourism strategies are analyzed first, followed by investigation research of the real implementation, attention is also focused on the ways of promoting the regions.

Thesis (MPhil (Information Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Marketing practitioners and academics are increasingly applying the concepts and techniques of products or services branding to the branding of destinations. To date, most of these studies focussed on using product and services branding concepts for branding destinations on the level of an individual resort, city or country. This thesis extends this trend by considering to what degree these destination branding ideas can also be used to brand an entire region consisting of several countries with multiple destinations. The specific focus is on developing such a regional branding framework for the tourism industry of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). First the state of tourism within the SADC region was described, including the establishment of RETOSA and the tourism performance of the region. On the basis of this overview, opportunities for regional destination branding were then considered. Secondly, the core concepts of product branding and their application to destination branding were discussed. Four theoretical frameworks for branding were reviewed and then used to compare product and destination branding. Thirdly, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was used as a case study of a region that has attempted regional destination branding initiatives, with a view to what the SADC-region may learn from this experience. In conclusion a regional destination branding framework is proposed for the SADC region. The following list makes up the elements of this framework: the vision and mission, the destination brand and its proposition, core values of the destination and its brand identity, brand image, clear view of the market, audience and competitors, brand personality, brand positioning, stakeholder consultation process and tourism marketing research. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Bemarkingspraktisyns en akademici pas toenemend die konsepte en tegnieke van produk- en dienste-bemarking op die bemarking van destinasies toe. Tot op hede was die focus van die meeste studies om bemarkingskonsepte toe te pas op destinasies soos `n individuele oort, stad of land. Hierdie tesis gaan verder as dit en oorweeg ook on watter mate hierdie bemarkingsidees ook gebruik kan word om `n hele streek, wat uit verskeie lande bestaan, te bemark. Daar word spesifiek gepoog om `n streeksbemarkingsraamwerk vir die toerismebedryf van die Suid-Afrikaanse Ontwikkelingsgemeenskap (SADC) daar te stel. Eerstens word die stand van toerisme in die SADC-streek beskryf, insluitend die ontwikkeling van SADC en die Streekstoerisme Organisasie van Suider-Afrika (RETOSA). Hierdie oorsig is gebruik om geleenthede vir streeksbemarking te oorweeg. Tweedens worddie kernkonsepte van produkbemarking en hulle toepassing op streeksbemarking bespreek. Vier teoretiese raamwerke vir bemarking word beskou en gebruik om produk- en destinasie-bemarking te vergelyk. Derdens word die Assosiasie van Suidoos-Asiatiese Lande (ASEAN) as `n gevallestudie van `n streek wat sulke bemarkingsinisiatiewe reeds geïmplimenteer het, bestudeer om te sien wat SADC daaruit kan leer. Laastens word `n streeksbemarkingsraamwerk vir die SADC-streek voorgestel. Die elemente waaruit die raamwerk beslaan, sluit die volgende in: die visie en misie, die streekshandelsmerk en sy proposisie, die kernwaardes van die streek en handelsmerkidentiteit, handelsmerkbeeld, oorsig oor die mark, toeskouers en kompetisie, handelsmerkpersoonlikheid, posisionering, insethouer konsultasieproses en toerismemarknavorsing.

The aim of the thesis is to describe the attitude of the region Polabí visitors and the potential consumers generally towards the certified regional products which were branded within the system under the patronage of Association of Regional Brands. The thesis is divided into two parts, theoretical and practical. The theoretical part defines tourism in relation to region, it's benefits and impacts and deals with the problem of it's sustainable development. It also presents the national coordinator of branding - Association of Regional Brands, it's activities and the specifics of branding in Polabí region. The practical part is based on a survey among potential consumers, producers and official sellers of certified products bearing the brand Polabí regionální produkt. The information obtained and presented provides valuable insights concerning the relationship of potential consumers to the certified regional products. On this basis, other possible ways of the development of the branding system in Polabí are suggested.