Lessons from Gunma Prefecture, Japan: Building a Sustainable Tourism Brand in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand

Abstract

The objective of this research was to examine the process of building a tourism brand from Gunma Prefecture of Japan to develop the tourism brand of Chiang Rai Province. The study was performed with qualitative method which collected data from reviewing related documents, observation, interviewing, and seeking input from both public and private sectors (four persons on branding Gunma Prefecture and 17 persons on Chiang Rai Province’s tourism).

The research results indicated that the development process of the tourism brand for Kumamoto of Japan relied on establishing the identity of the city through the mascot character Kumamon and defining the roles and identities of the province through the provincial governor. It also had collaboration with private sector tourism entities in using a unified brand to promote the prefecture’s tourism. The results revealed that 1) clear definition of the values and branding of Chiang Rai tourism required collaboration between the public and private sectors, 2) maintaining consistency in marketing communication was essential for brand acceptance and commitment through public relations activities in the province, 3) government agencies needed to create their own brand, which may lead to confusion when choosing private sectors’ brands and efforts should be made to unify the branding, 4) Designating a central agency responsibility for communication activities related to the tourism brand should be made, 5) understanding and recognition of the brand had impacts its implementation for tourism development, 6) perceiving the benefits of brand usage influenced acceptance and application for tourism promotion, and 7) building a tourism brand that connects with the beliefs and faith of the local people, especially with respect to religious and spiritual aspects, influenced the acceptance of the provincial tourism brand.