Impact of the European Capital of Culture project on the image of the city of Novi Sad - the perception of the local community
Keywords:
image perception, local community, European Capital of Culture, Novi Sad
Abstract
Nowadays, the research focus is mainly on how tourists perceive the destination image, while the local community, as a very important key actor, is very often neglected in the studies. In light of the fact that Novi Sad has been declared the European Capital of Culture 2021, great attention has been placed on the local community and its perception of the European Capital of Culture (ECoC) influence on all aspects of the city’s life, including city image. In this regard, during April and May 2018, a survey of residents of Novi Sad was conducted to explore their perception of the city’s image - cognitive, affective, and overall. In this study, which is the beginning of a longitudinal study aiming to follow the influence of the ECoC project on the city image, a total of 797 respondents participated. The results of the research on the cognitive image indicate that the local community mostly agrees with the claims that Novi Sad is a pleasant place to live in, that it has a good gastronomic offer, is an attractive place for education, and that people are kind and hospitable. On the other hand, the smallest degree of agreement is observed with claims which refer to the living standard in the city. When it comes to tourism and culture, significant differences are observed between individual attributes. Also, research on the affective image shows that the city is perceived as relaxing, pleasant, exciting, and lively.
References
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Zenker, S., Beckmann, S.C. 2013. My place is not your place – different place brand knowledge by different target groups. Journal of Place Management and Development 6(1), 6-17.
Zenker, S., Braun, E., Petersen, S. 2017. Branding the destination versus the place: The effects of brand complexity and identification for residents and visitors. Tourism Management 58, 15-27.
Zenker, S., Erfgen, C. 2014. Let them do the work: a participatory place branding approach. Journal of place management and development 7(3), 225-34.
Zenker, S., Petersen, S. 2014. An integrative theoretical model for improving resident-city identification. Environment and Planning A 46(3), 715-729.
Zenker, S., Petersen, S., Aholt, A. 2013. The Citizen Satisfaction Index (CSI): evidence for a four basic factor model in a German sample. Cities 31, 156-164.
Arnegger, J., Herz, M. 2016. Economic and destination image impacts of mega-events in emerging tourist destinations. Journal of Destination Marketing and Management 5(2), 76-85.
Baloglu, S. 1997. The relationship between destination images and sociodemographic and trip characteristics of international travelers. Journal of Vacation Marketing 3(3), 221-233.
Baloglu, S., McCleary, K.W. 1999. A model of destination image formation. Annals of Tourism Research 26(4), 868-897.
Beerli, A., Martín, J.D. 2004. Tourists’ characteristics and the perceived image of tourist destinations: A qualitative analysis – a case study of Lanzarote, Spain. Tourism Management 25(5), 623-636.
Bennett, R., Savani, S. 2003. The rebranding of city places: An international comparative investigation. International Public Management Review 4(2), 70-87.
Bigné, E.A., Sanchez, I.G., Sanz, S.B. 2005. Relationships among residents’ image, evaluation of the stay and post-purchase behaviour. Journal of Vacation Marketing 11(4), 291-302.
Božić, S. (2016). The impact of tourist personality on destination brand and tourist behavior on example of the sites of the cultural route. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Novi Sad, Serbia. (In Serbian)
Braun, E., Kavaratzis, M., Zenker, S. 2013. My city–my brand: the different roles of residents in place branding. Journal of Place Management and Development 6(1), 18-28.
Byrd, E.T., Bosley, H.E., Dronberger, M.G. 2009. Comparisons of stakeholder perceptions of tourism impacts in rural eastern North Carolina. Tourism Management 30(5), 693-703.
Campelo, A.R., Aitken, R., Thyne, M., Gnoth, J. 2014. Sense of place: The importance of destination branding. Journal of Travel Research 53(2), 154-166.
Csaba, F.F. 2005. The limits of corporate branding: The application of branding to non-profit organizations and places. In: Schultz, M., Antorini, Y., Csaba, F.F. (Eds.) Corporate branding, Purpose/People/Process: Towards the Second Wave of Corporate Branding. Copenhagen Business School Press, Frederiksberg, 127-149.
Dinnie, K. 2011. Introduction to the theory of city branding. In: Dinnie, K. (Ed.) City Branding. Palgrave Macmillan, London, 3-7.
Farmaki, A., Christou, P., Saveriades, A., Spanou-Tripinioti, E. 2019. Perceptions of Pafos as European Capital of Culture: Tourism stakeholder and resident perspectives. International Journal of Tourism Research 21(2), 234-244.
Freire, J.R. 2009. Local people: A critical dimension for place brands. Journal of Brand Management 16(7), 420-438.
Gallarza, M.G., Saura, L.G., Garcia, H.C. 2002. Destination image: Towards a conceptual framework. Annals of Tourism Research 29(1), 56-78.
Green, R. 2005. Community perceptions of environmental and social change and tourism development on the island of Koh Samui, Thailand. Journal of Environmental Psychology 25(1), 37-56.
Grix, J. 2013. Sport politics and the Olympics. Political Studies Review 11(1), 15-25.
Henkel, R., Henkel, P., Agrusa, W., Agrusa, J., Tanner, J. 2006. Thailand as a tourist destination: Perceptions of international visitors and Thai residents. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research 11(3), 269-287.
Hudson, M., Hawkins, N. 2006. A tale of two cities – A commentary on historic and current marketing strategies used by the Liverpool and Glasgow regions. Place Branding and Public Diplomacy 2(2), 155-176.
Hudson, R. 1988. Uneven development in capitalist societies: Changing spatial divisions of labour, forms of spatial organization of production and service provision, and their impacts on localities. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers 13(4), 484-496.
Hui, T.K., Wan, T.W.D. 2003. Singapore’s image as a tourist destination. International Journal of Tourism Research 5, 305-313.
Jovanović, T., Božić, S., Dinić, B., Majstorović, N. 2017. Serbian adaptation of the brand personality scale (BPS): An application to tourism destinations. Applied Psychology 10(1), 37-61.
Keller, K.L. 1993. Conceptualizing, measuring, and managing customer-based brand equity. Journal of Marketing 57 (1), 1-22.
Kerr, G. 2006. From destination brand to location brand. Journal of Brand Management 13(4-5), 276-283.
Kovačić, S., Jovanović, T., Šagovnović, I. 2019b. Exploring the gap in destination image and destination personality perception between tourists and stakeholders - Case of Roman heritage sites in Serbia. Turizam 23(3), 133-144.
Kovačić, S., Milenković, N., Slivar, I., Rancic, M. 2019a. Shaping city brand strategies based on the tourists’ brand perception: report on Banja Luka main target groups. International Journal of Tourism Cities 6(2), 371-396.
Leisen, B. 2001. Image segmentation: The case of a tourism destination. Journal of Services Marketing 15(1), 49-66.
Liu, Y.D. 2014. Socio-cultural impacts of major event: Evidence form the 2008 European Capital of Culture, Liverpool. Social Indicators Research 115(3), 983-998.
Lynch, K. 1960. The image of the city. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.
Merrilees, B., Miller, D., Herington, C. 2009. Antecedents of residents’ city brand attitudes. Journal of Business Research 62(3), 362-367.
Merrilees, B., Miller, D., Herington, C. 2012. Multiple stakeholders and multiple city brand meanings. European Journal of Marketing 46(7-8), 1032-1047.
Nunkoo, R., Gursoy, D. 2012. Residents’ support for tourism: An identity perspective. Annals of Tourism Research 39(1), 243-268.
Palmer, A., Koenig-Lewis, N., Jones, L.E.M. 2013. The effects of residents’ social identity and involvement on their advocacy of incoming tourism. Tourism Management 38, 142-151.
Pirck, P. (2005). Marke ist machbar. Planung & Analyse 3(3), 2-6.
Reid, D.G., Mair, H., George, W. 2004. Community tourism planning: A self-assessment instrument. Annals of Tourism Research 31(3), 623-639.
Richards, G., Wilson, J. 2004. The impact of cultural events on city image: Rotterdam, cultural capital of Europe 2001. Urban Studies 41(10), 1931-1951.
Schroeder, T. 1996. The relationship of residents’ image of their states as a tourist destination and their support for tourism. Journal of Travel Research 34(4), 71-73.
Shukla, P., Brown, J., Harper, D. 2006. Image association and European capital of culture: Empirical insights through the case study of Liverpool. Tourism Review 61(4), 6-12.
Smith, A. 2012. Events and urban regeneration: The strategic use of events to revitalize cities. Routledge, London.
Stern, E., Krakover, S. 1993. The formation of a composite urban image. Geographical Analysis 25, 130-146.
Sternquist-Witter, B.S. 1985. Attitudes about a resort area: A comparison of tourists and local retailers. Journal of Travel Research 51(6), 687-703.
Stylidis, D., Belhassen, Y., Shani, A. 2014. Three tales of a city: Stakeholders’ images of Eilat as a tourist destination. Journal of Travel Research 54(6), 702-716.
Stylidis, D., Shani, A., Belhassen, Y. 2017. Testing an integrated destination image model across residents and tourists. Tourism Management 58, 184-195.
Stylidis, D., Sit, J., Biran, A. 2016. An exploratory study of residents’ perception of place image: The case of Kavala. Journal of Travel Research 55(5), 659-674.
Stylidis, D., Terzidou, M. 2014. Tourism and the economic crisis in Kavala, Greece. Annals of Tourism Research 44, 210-226.
Van der Steen, T., Richards, G. 2019. Factors affecting resident support for a hallmark cultural event: the 2018 European Capital of Culture in Valletta, Malta. Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure and Events. DOI: 10.1080/19407963.2019.1696352
Vasiljević, Đ., Božić, S., Vujičić, M., Stankov, U., Čikić, J., Ristić, D., Milenković, N. (2018). Attitudes of Novi Sad Residents Towards the Title European Capital of Culture (Novi Sad 2021) – Preliminary Results. 7th Biennial ITSA 2nd International TESA Conference, 6 – 10 August 2018, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa.
Vujičić, M., Stankov, U., Božić, S., Vasiljević, S. (2018). Perception of place image by inner-city and suburban residents - The Case of Novi Sad (Serbia). 7th Biennial ITSA 2nd International TESA Conference, 6 – 10 August 2018, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa. Available at: https://arcg.is/1qO8O5
Vujičić, M.D., Stamenković, I., Stankov, U., Kovačić, S., Vasiljević, Đ.A., Popov-Locke, J. 2020. What will prevail within citybreak travel, motivation or demotivation?: Case study of Novi Sad, Vojvodina, Serbia. Geographica Pannonica 24(1), 42-55.
Walls, A., Shani, A., Rompf, P.D. 2008. The nature of gratuitous referrals in tourism: Local residents’ perspectives. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 20, 647-663.
Walmsley, D.J., Jenkins, J.M. 1993. Appraisive images of tourist areas: Application of personal construct. Australian Geographer 24(2), 1-13.
Ward, S. 1998. Selling Places: The Marketing and Promotion of Towns and Cities 1850-2000. Routledge, London.
Zenker, S., Beckmann, S.C. 2013. My place is not your place – different place brand knowledge by different target groups. Journal of Place Management and Development 6(1), 6-17.
Zenker, S., Braun, E., Petersen, S. 2017. Branding the destination versus the place: The effects of brand complexity and identification for residents and visitors. Tourism Management 58, 15-27.
Zenker, S., Erfgen, C. 2014. Let them do the work: a participatory place branding approach. Journal of place management and development 7(3), 225-34.
Zenker, S., Petersen, S. 2014. An integrative theoretical model for improving resident-city identification. Environment and Planning A 46(3), 715-729.
Zenker, S., Petersen, S., Aholt, A. 2013. The Citizen Satisfaction Index (CSI): evidence for a four basic factor model in a German sample. Cities 31, 156-164.
