Destination branding and reconstructing symbolic capital of urban heritage: A spatially informed observational analysis in medieval towns

The primary aim of this paper is to discuss the nature of a spatially informed dual relationship between destination branding and the construction of symbolic capital in heritage sites. Employing a social constructivist approach in an interdisciplinary perspective of multiple-destinations research, the paper attempts to understand how destination branding as a social phenomenon intrinsically draws on the symbolic value of urban heritage and how this connectedness is reinforced by socioeconomic activities located in the heritage space. Based on textual, observational and visual methods and techniques, the research conducted in designated UNESCO World Heritage destinations of former Hanseatic towns identified a number of interconnected spatial dimensions involved in the process of (re)constructing the symbolic capital of historical sites and especially medieval architectural objects. In a broader sense, the analysis shows how the reciprocity between destination branding and the construction of the symbolic capital unfolding in the interrelationship between destination brand identity and destination brand image could be considered in conceptualising practices in the tourism field.