This thesis aims to explore the concept of developing a brand identity for Libya as a tourism destination. The author adopts a model proposed by Iliachenko (2005) to do this. The model is based upon a destination’s culture, history and nature in creating a destination brand identity. The author recognises that this model was proposed as an exploratory tool so he seeks to further explore its usefulness in the destination brand identity development process. Data collection for this thesis adopted a qualitative approach. This involved conducting semi-structured interviews with internal stakeholders in the Libyan tourism sector (Tourism Authority, tourism companies, academic staff, hotel company, Committee for the Preparation of Tourism Master Plan); this was complemented with document analysis. The results of the empirical study identify that the Iliachenko model was reviewed with great satisfaction by the respondents and they identified how Libya might be defined as a destination brand. They also saw a lot of merit in urgently adopting the model in developing a destination brand identity for Libya. The author, however, in analysing the findings, considers the Iliachenko model to be incomplete as a tool to enable a destination brand identity to be developed. To cover these deficiencies the author argues there is a need to add two new elements to the Iliachenko model to represent Libyan tourist destination brand identity, these are: people; and safety and security. In addition, for the model to be useful it must be applied within a political context, defined by processes of governance, economic structure the process of applying the model. In so doing a new model is thus proposed: The Alghalli destination brand identity pentagon (see figure 9.2). This thesis concludes that a tourist destination brand identity for Libya must include a ‘vision’ that promotes ‘Libya as a tourist destination that is safe, secure and also hospitable’. From this a destination brand identity can emerge that captures the personality elements of the destination of Libya as being ‘beautiful, quiet, safe and honest, welcoming and culturally diverse and of great age’. The contribution of this thesis is both practical and theoretical, and it finishes with the identification of areas of further research while the application of the new model in Libya and in different destination contexts.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:638057 |
| Date | January 2014 |
| Creators | Al Ghalli, Samir |
| Contributors | Dermody, Janine ; Harper, Richard |
| Publisher | University of Gloucestershire |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://eprints.glos.ac.uk/1988/ |
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