1

Destination Branding using Diamond Model: A case of

Albania
Abstract

Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents a summary of our research topic, an introductory phase of the research
aim and philosophy, the contribution of the study to the practitioners and researchers. Brief
Information about other chapters is presented here as well information.

Tourism development provides numerous socio-cultural, economic as well as environmental
changes to the host country and many more benefits. Thus, the active government, policy
makers and locals participation is required for the sustainability of the travel and hospitality
industry in any destination (Gursoy et al., 2010). Tourism as an economic activity in Albania,
Albania has some of the world most attractive natural and cultural resources. The country had
many setbacks in terms of tourism industry development. Among them are war and socialism,
for example (Hall, 1990) stated that the Albanian economic model under socialism restricted
and affected the activities and number of foreign travelers into the country due to political
tensions and other security policies. The current political transformation has brought both
social and internal instability, and growth is been experience and seen in the tourism sector.
The development progressed due to change in social, political and economic conditions;
notably from urbanization, transport technology revolution, rise of income, change in
consumption behavior, demographical change, and improvement in labor rights and the
advances of industrialization. Travel or tourism is seen as a global phenomenon by many
2

academicians and practitioners due to massive infrastructural modification that came along
with it. Perhaps, it is essential to grant credits to tourism for it influence in our culture,
politics, society and finally the economy. The industrial and French revolution has substantial
impact on the world economy as well as the behavior of mankind. Similarly, the evolution of
internet has great impact on many industries particularly tourism and hospitality management
industry. Tourism business development has been the focus of study in recent times. A general
consensus has emerged that it not only increases foreign exchange income, but also creates
employment opportunities, stimulates the growth of the tourism industry and by virtue of this,
triggers overall economic growth. As such, tourism development has become an important
target for most governments. According to the estimates of the World Tourism Organization
(WTO, 2000), the number of international people movements around the world will surge to
1602 million by 2020, while tourism receipts will reach some US$200 billion.

In the present day tourism industry destination marketing and image projection have become
strategic tools for sustainable competitive advantage. Various countries and destinations are
adopting and implementing what many scholars refers to as destination-brand building. For
example Brazil, Greece, Turkey, Albania and Spain were famous destination sun baths,
cultural and historical heritages. Samba is one of the most famous cultural heritages of Brazil
in the eyes of foreigners while Spanish government projected Spain on their promotional
campaigns, as Smile! You Are in Spain. The concept is not only limited to countries but
rather to cities and regions around the globe. Destination branding is very important in the
present destination management practice; the increase in tourist vacation choices has resulted
to an increase in the substitutability and has also diminished differentiation amongst some
destinations (Pike, 2005). Notwithstanding, most scholars have focus more on destination
image (Boo at al., 2009). Thus creating the need to establish a framework for destination
branding, this will rely on specific elements of branding theory. One of the most accepted
branding definitions is that of (Aaker, 1991, p. 7) a brand is a distinguished name and/or
symbol (like trademark, logo and package/product design) intended to identify the goods
and/or services of a particular producer or a group of producers, and to differentiate those
goods and/or services from those of competitors. Literatures regarding destination or place
marketing has revealed various conceptions on destination branding.
3

Recent literatures have concluded that there are two approaches: urban planning and tourism
and vacation marketing (Hankinson, 2004; Garca et al., 2012). Urban planning focuses on
the place natural resources and beauty, the historical and cultural attraction as well as the
distinctiveness of the place in terms of marketing implications. Tourism and vacation
marketing focuses on four conceptual elements that are connected through networks; brands
as relationships, brands as perceptual entities, brands as value enhancers and brands as
communicators. Considering that brands are kinds of relationship and value enhancers then
tourist experience should be incorporated into the process of branding, because of its positive
impact. Similarly, Ritchie and Ritchie (1998) have defined a destination brand as a name,
word mark, logo or symbol that may identify and/or differentiates a particular destination. In
addition it carries a positive image and a promise of an unforgettable travel experience that is
uniquely related with the destination; further this may also assist in recalling and remembering
pleasurable memories attached to that destination. Effective destination branding provides
travelers with a promise and assurance of good experiences, eliminates their search cost and
reduces searching process as well as uncertainty (Blain et al., 2005).

Destination image is an important assets for destination branding, for example (Mayo 1973;
Goodrich 1978) claimed that destination image studies has received attention in the tourism
literature because it is well acknowledged that destination image affects both destination
choices and travelers visiting intentions. Perhaps, destination image research is a staple of
destination market research (Suh and Gartner, 2004 pg.40). Destination image formation takes
place before the actual trip that is during traveler destination selection processes. Empirical
evidence has demonstrated that destination image significantly affects recommendation
behavior of destinations; it is one of the main building blocks of successful tourism and
destination marketing (Bigne et al., 2001). Scholars and practitioners have tested and
measured how tourists see a particular destination; how the destination is perceived by
tourists; they have even embark on to carry out full scale development and implement
marketing and promotion actions to alter and fix the destination image, and finally they have
analysis and see whether the changes made has any effect on the destination image (Bigne et
al., 2001).

4

The destination branding is considered as a powerful tool which has the ability to create brand
good image and emotional appeal; these two elements are very important for tourism
destination marketing and promotions campaign (Leisen, 2001). Understanding the locus
of authority within a multi-stakeholder decision making process, may contribute to the success
of destination branding (Tribe, 2006). Tourism policy and planning field is an area consisting
of similar and diverse interests amongst stakeholders, his work was came up with this
conclusion after observing a community decision making patterns and processes (Hall, 1994).
Hall (2003:101) noted that those individuals who benefitted from tourism development are
placed in good and preferred position to promote and defend their interests; by altering the
institutional structures in the community they manage. Prideaux and Cooper (2002) argue that
the destination brand is the tangible and positive outcome of the achievement of unity and
collaboration amongst the stakeholders of a tourism destination. The conceptualization of
destination branding as a collaborative process can be considered as the central theme that
characterizes how tourism literature has described the inter-relationships amongst stakeholders
in the process of branding a tourism destination. Stakeholder collaboration in the creation of
the destination brand has been related to the enhancement of the marketing efforts of a
destination (Cai, 2002). Similarly, the sustainability of the destination brand is related not only
to the message delivered but also to the degree of shared meaning that is contained in the
message delivered through the brand.
1.1. Aim of the study
Limited studies have been conducted regarding destination branding in Albania, although
many frameworks exist. None if any has attempted to consider Albania with the diamond
model by utilizing qualitative methods. Considering the extent literature this research attempts
to diagnose Albanian tourism industry by exploring and redefining strategic brand and
destination analysis.
1.2. Design of the study
This study comprise of six chapters. Introduction and brief explanation of the thesis topic is
discussed in chapter 1. Historical development, literature review, previous findings and
detailed explanation and vital statistical findings concerning tourism and destination branding
are discussed in chapter 2. Chapter 3 presents methodology of the research, sampling
techniques, research questions development and data collection procedures. In chapter 4 we
5

discuss and analyze the research findings briefly and a comprehensive summary of the,
research findings are presented. Discussion of the research outcome, business implications,
conclusions, limitations and future research direction are presented in chapter six.




























6

Chapter 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
This chapter presents a summary of previous research frameworks, prepositions, findings and
assumptions. That is a comprehensive theoretical and statistical background of the global
travel industry and national branding literatures are presented in this chapter
2.1. Travel and Tourism Industry
Travel industry is also refers to as the tourism industry in modern science. Similarly, (Leiper,
1983 and Korstanje, 2007, 2012) stated that the word travel and tourism are sometimes used
interchangeably. The authors noted that the Grand-tour was enrooted in the ancient Norse
Mythology. Korstanje highlighted the archetype of a travelling-god who explored the world to
acquire knowledge and experience. Norse-related scripts are quite unique in this sense. The
Grand-tour is a kind of traditional travel in Europe mainly by wealthy Europeans as form of
social symbol for upper classes' students, in the 18th and 19th centuries, the custom flourished
from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s. During the 18th
century, the word Turn was later used for political achievement by the English noblemen
used the term turn which refers to trips for knowledge search and culture exploration. In
reality, the reason they undertake the trip to various part of Kingdom was to get knowledge
necessarily for governing (Korstanje, 2007). Etymologically the word tour originated
from Greek and Latin words ('tornos' and 'tornare') respectively. These words both mean
movement around a circle or a central point. In modern terminology, the English adopted tour
and added ism as a suffix which technically means 'action or process and ist describes 'an
individual that execute a particular action'. Thus, if we combine the word tour and the
suffixes, this means the act of moving around a circle. Perhaps, tourism can viewed as the act
of moving away from our starting point (home) to our destination and then back to the original
starting point (home) and tourist is the person who participates in the activity (William, 1998).

7

Contrary, French scholars like (Arthur, 1961) argued that the word tourism comes from the
old Aramaic word Tur, which means an excursion and movement of people in the Bible. He
emphasized that the term was first used during the time of Moses when begins his expedition
to the lands of Canan. Considering, this the touristic motive is prevalent in all cultures and
times. The predecessor of United Nations (UN), the League of Nations in 1936 refers to
tourist as an individual or group of people who travelled abroad for at least 24 hours. Later on
in 1945, the UN increase the duration to maximum of six months (William, 1998). Leisure
travel was associated with the Industrial and French Revolution. In Europe, United Kingdom
(UK) was the first country to promote leisure time (Singh, 2008). Initially, leisure time was
only applicable to rich traders, wealthy factory owners and the economic oligarchy. For
instance, Leiper (1995) claimed that the development of tourism industry can be traced back
to 1960s due to modernizing elements of industries as engines of economic powerhouse as
well as urbanization. Cox & Kings initiated the first travel firm in 1758 and later in 1844
Thomas Cook the pioneer of travel agency came up with idea of excursion with the railway
making it the first privately chartered excursion train to be advertised to the general public;
Cook himself acknowledging that there had been previous, unadvertised, private excursion
trains (Ingle, 1991). After some years he started his own business running rail excursions for
pleasure, taking a percentage of the railway tickets. Later on his agency charged for food and
accommodation similar to todays travel agency procedures. Higgins-Desbiolles (2006) stated
that Thomas Cook is the grand master of todays mass tourism; he further argued that Cook
utilized then the new train technology to organize cheap trips and excursions for the new
middle class created during industrialization stages of the UK. He started organizing short
trips within the U.K and later on expanded to places like India, Egypt, Holy Lands and Paris
(Higgins-Desbiolles, 2006).

Tourism is in fact a powerful social force that can achieve if interrupted or controlled by law
and instead utilized for human development imperatives and for general public good. The
environmental, economical, cultural, and socio-psychological impacts of the travel industry
are so important that they have been integrated in essential international organization and
documents. Travel is a quest, in similar vein of King Odyssey seeing, and perhaps to
understand, the whole inhabited earth. Travel or tourism is not just a repetitious pleasure
8

seeking activity (MacCannell,1976 ) but a general shared human curiosity of others with the
mutual possibility that we may discover ourselves (McKean, 1989 and Higgins-Desbiolles,
2006). Travelling is not just a banal movement from one point to another but also includes
enhancing ones wellbeing, promoting and increasing knowledge accumulation, fostering
cross-cultural acknowledgement and protection, increases environmental, peace, global
awareness and heritage protection.

Perhaps, contemporary travel and tourism activities came to light due to the implementation of
social policies like annual paid leave entitlement, suggesting that acknowledgement the right
of people to leisure and rest after work. Thus, this has emerge as an element of mutual
understanding and social stability within the society and finally for the betterment of all.
Higgins-Desbiolles, (2006) highlighted the economic value of travel and tourism industry in
numerous nations and thus described it as an essential part of economic growth in terms of
employment, foreign exchange and export earnings. Therefore, developing nations are
encouraged not to take similar industrial path like the developed nations, instead take
advantage of the travel and tourism industry that is less destructive and constructive in terms
of revenue generation. Travel industry employees roughly about 100 million, thus providing a
means of survival for many people. Smith (1988) gave an industrial definition of tourism and
the travel industry in what he calls a supply side in other words, the central focus is on the
business (e.g. traveling service providers) rather than the travelers. He further describes the
phenomenon as a process by which goods and services are provided to enhance and facilitate
pleasure, leisure, education and business away from home. Similarly, another author added
that the tourism product is the complete travel experience, consisting of the food,
accommodation, travel and attractions a traveler uses (Higgins-Desbiolles, 2006).

2.2 Tourism in Albania
Albania is one of the low income and smallest countries in the Balkans; it is around 28,000
square kilometers, it share border with Montenegro, Macedonia and Kosovo both in the east
and north; in the south and east with Greece. Its land mass is made up of mountains and hills,
the highest peak in the country is about 2700 meters. The country has one of the worlds
unspoiled, beautiful and fine sandy beaches along the Adriatic and Ionian coasts in the
9

Mediterranean. Albania is mainly mountainous in nature with about 50 percent of the country
is 600 meters above sea level. For instance, in the northern part of the country the Albanian
Alps there is a tick and large forest mountain that stretches towards the eastern border.
Albania's terrain is mountainous and there are valleys that spread in a beautiful mosaic of
forests, pastures, springs framed by high peaks capped by snow until late summer. The
remaining 50% of Albania forms a coastal area of about 320 kilometers and inland plain area,
primarily use for agricultural, oil production, industries and housing purposes. In addition to
the topographical feature of Albania, the inland plain area has attractive lakes and fresh water
streams.

The countrys coastline is facing the Adriatic and Ionian seas and from the back facing
Balkans highlands landmass; Albania is lying at latitude that is subjected to varieties of
weather patterns throughout the year. The coastal areas have Mediterranean weather while the
lowlands have mild winters, averaging about 7 C (45 F) and summer temperatures average
is around 24 C (75 F). The mountainous region is usually cold and rainfall is heavier in that
region; nearly 95% of the rain falls in the winter. The countrys size is small but has
distinguished rich biological diversity. The variation of geomorphology, climate and terrain
create favorable conditions for a number of endemic and sub-endemic species with (27)
endemic and (160) sub endemic vascular plants present in the country. The total number of
plants is over 3250 species, approximately 30 percent of the entire flora species found in
Europe (GEF, 1999). Over a third of the territory of Albania is made up of forest and rich in
flora, consisting of about 3,000 different species of plants grow in Albania, many of which are
used for medicinal purposes. Mediterranean vegetations are also found in the Coastal and
lowlands regions (BLCC, 2009)

Over the past 40 years the countrys population has grown from 1.2 million to 3.4 million and
is now one of the most densely populated countries in Europe. Albanian demographic consists
of 2% Greeks basically in the south and 98%. Over the past 20 years the GDP per capital has
increase by 12% from US$600 in 1995 to $5,000 in 2013. Although the country is still
consider as one of the poorest countries in Europe. Although tourism was ignored, there is
huge potential for tourism activities in Albania since it will have serious impact and contribute
10

significantly to the economy as well as assist in reconstructing Albanian political system.
Prior to 1990, the country has closed political regime which managed tourism activities in a
selective manner. However, Post-1990 has seen some transformation in the political system
due to ease of access to the country by more tourists; the drawbacks still remains the poor
tourism infrastructure and the ongoing conflict and instability in the region. Following years
of self-imposed isolation Albania is now a country where foreign visitors are welcome and is a
place where travelers can experience social, cultural and economic values due to changes that
has taken place over the years. The figures in Table 1 point to the volatility of arrivals over the
period in question.
Table 1: Arrivals of foreigners (1995 - 2013)
Years Tourist Arrivals (By sea, air and land)
1995 304,000
1996 287,000
1997 119,000
1998 184,000
1999 371,000
2000 317,000
2001 353,000
2002 470,000
2003 558,000
2004 645,000
2005 748,000
2006 937,000
2007 1,126,000
2008 1419,000
2009 1,856,000
2010 2,418,000
2011 2,932,000
2012 3,514,000
2013 3,460,000
Origin: (INSTAT, 2014),
11

Albanian tourism sector has been neglected for years; as such the country major natural
attractions remain in relative ecological cleanness. Perhaps, the recent booming and
development programs should be taken with caution to avoid pollution some rivers and certain
areas. Regulations for pollution control as a result of development of the tourism industry
should be clearly stated. Furthermore, national heritage and identity of the country are
important assets for branding and in the development of hospitality industry in order to make
the country unique from others and more attractive. In 1992 the European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development stated that Albanian government, plan focus on building
Albania's tourism upon existing attributes and resources rather than focusing on major
infrastructure and capital development in competition with other Mediterranean countries. The
strategic idea seeks to design Albanian tourism with a vision of differentiation and attributes
for example branding the country as: excitement in "the land of the Eagle", a sense of mystery
and adventure in the mountains. In addition the image formation is design to show the country
as the only region in Europe where tourism has been developed in sympathy with the
environment and natural resources. The country is also branded as a land of adventure,
exploring and new experience, sports, mystery, culture, society health and a destination which
is friendly and hospitable, colorful and welcoming (European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development 1992).

The implementation of this strategy has to work hand in hand with new policies thus the need
for changing existing policies exist in terms of investment. Investments incentives for tourism
managers and tourism industry have to be reorganized and put into a master plan. In 1993 the
government passed a bill to enforce the strategy. Tourism and hospitality infrastructure and
development were set as priority (Government of Albania No. 7665. date 1.01.1993). There
has also been a government action to identify the priority areas where tourism will form the
lead sector within the economy. For example infrastructures like accommodation facilities in
tourist villages, investments or resorts in supportive activities such as recreation, trips and
mountain camping are considered as high priority for the government. Committee for the
Development of Tourism (CDT) was formed to diminish obstacle involve in bureaucratic
process. In 1993 European bank for Reconstruction and Development report prepares detailed
planning guidelines for tourism, by identifying detailed suggestions for mountain resorts and
12

towns, coastal resorts (Ionic and Adriatic). If implemented as planned, the guidelines would
ensure that Albanian tourism sector follows sustainable tourism development model. There
are also defined incentives for foreign and local investors including tax free incentives and
holiday, the import of the hard currency, removal of customs taxes and others (Baum and
Mudambi, 1996). The link between land rent and the investment cost is used as a vehicle to
encourage low cost construction in harmony with the surrounding environment. Since the
enactment of the law, the CDT has given about 50 licenses for tourism developments, mainly
in seaside areas.

US$150 million projects including construction of a motel in Linza, the reconstruction of
Hotel Tirana, building of Hotel Europark by the Austrian company Rogner, and of 20 villas in
Tirana by Mak-Albania. About the same time, the government approved other projects
notably the construction of a tourist village in Golem and Ksamil by Mak- Albania, the
construction of two tourist villages in Ksamil by two Italian companies worth US$43 million
and US$10 million respectively, the construction of more than ten tourist facilities in Golem
worth $200,000 to $500,000 by local investors and the approval of tourist harbor in Orikum.
The number of tourists has increased dramatically, both domestic and internationally.
Domestic tourism increased to about half a million travelers who visited and used recreation
facilities and even stayed in hotels. Many hotels were privatized and more tourism business
licenses were approved and some in the public sectors were turned to private enterprises like
tourist agencies, transport companies, motels restaurants, discos and so on.

Tourist maps, information booklets and videos on the country's tourist product, on the
attractions of Albania, on its history, culture has been published by the Committee of Tourism
based the other countries model and regulations to manage these activities were adopted (CDT
1999). Fifty tourist agencies were registered and their activities have increased; their
marketing presence in various European countries is felt from London to Moscow, Milan to
Berlin and so on. However, equally important to tourism development is a stable overall
economy, good telecommunications, a reliable banking system and a general improvement in
the business infrastructure. Without these, significant investment in tourism is unlikely to take
place. There are also plans in kain for a wide range of other facilities and products within the
13

tourism sector. New ferries and port facilities are planned, especially those which are not too
demanding on infrastructure, renovation of existing and new accommodation facilities, the
development of wild life and nature tourism (hunting, fishing etc.) as well as the development
of attractions in areas such as golf, tennis, entertainment, swimming facilities and casinos. In
order to meet the objectives of the national plans, a number of conditions and priorities must
be addressed.
2.3. Destination branding
The travel industry has contributed significantly to social and cultural course, although this
contribution was only recognized recently. Within the last decades Turkey has experience
huge foreign and local investment on travel and tourism infrastructure e.g. modernization of
resorts, renovation of historical sites, transport infrastructure as well as total elimination of
travel barriers between main cities, attraction and resorts. The availability of domestic flights
to major cities, comfortable tour and coach buses enhances activities associated with travel.

(MORE LITERATURE TO BE ADDED HERE 10 PAGES)
2.3. Conceptual Model
2.3.1 Simon Anholts nation branding and competitive identity
2.3.2 Porters diamond model
Porter diamond model explains why some countries succeed in certain industries and fail in
others in his. Success is not achieved in industries which could not realize their external
integration, but in business clusters. Porter (1990) stated that business clusters are industrial
zones where businesses operate with their suppliers and other connections which include
private and public business. Thus, developing clusters will increase the speed of getting
competitive advantage. Porter explains the determining elements of Competition Diamond
Model (see figure 1) with four factors that have an effect in developing a competitive
advantage for nations or countries. This model represents the areas that countries can set up
for their industries (Bulut et.al ,2004); the competitive advantage of a country. These factors
are:
1. Factor conditions like natural resources and skilled labor
14

2. Demand conditions for a country for tourism products and services.
3. Supporting industries in a country, which could support the competitiveness of an industry
in global market.
4. The strategies of companies, industrial structure and the competition among themselves


Figure 1: Porters diamond model.






Context for Firm
Strategy and Rivaly
Demand Condition
Related and
Supporting
Industries
Factor Condition
Government
Role
Chance
Role
15

Chapter 3
METHODOLOGY
This chapter present provides detailed information in respect to the research objectives,
methodology, sampling technique, data collection procedure, scale items used and the analytic
methodologies adopted. First, this section will describe the philosophical standpoints of the
research, and then data collection and analysis procedures will be discussed.
3.1 Research Design
The two marketing research methodology are either quantitative or qualitative approaches.
The problem with marketing and management research is the selection of the right and
appropriate research methodology. For instance, Silverman and Marvasti (2008, p. 22)
pinpointed that one the drawbacks of modern studies is selecting the most feasible methods.
Quantitative stream line focused more on numerical records categorized in a hierarchical order
that include various variables. Measurements are organized based on certain presumptions by
the researchers. It follows the positivist and deductive settings that is a process of seeing
things in an objective manner. Qualitative stream line seeks to explore and understand human
perceptions, behavior, believe attitudes and motivations toward problem. The research stream
involves the analysis of reports, words, pictures and texts. It is inductive in nature and
primarily focuses on exploring reality in natural setting. This type of research procedure
contributes significantly to social reality and adds meaningful insights that cannot be observe
with quantitative methods. Furthermore, (Ormerod, 2010) described two types of research
techniques namely: deductive and inductive approaches. He pointed out that deductive
approach is aimed at testing existing theories to verify their applicability to certain scenarios
and implication. Inductive approach is aimed at compiling new information and insights of
new phenomenon basically through observations. It is a type of research design in which the
logic of inference goes from observation to a hypothesis that accounts for the reliable data
(observation) and attempts to describe critical issues and new insights. Similarly, Abubakar
and Ilkan (2014) stated that comprehensive data description is the drawback of quantitative
data methodology while sound judgment and predictability are for qualitative. The research
16

aim at conceptualizing destination branding, perhaps there is need to conduct exploratory
study on strategic brand analysis for the intended destination. This can be achieved through in-
depth understanding of the destination competitiveness, government policies and tourism
stakeholders. Perhaps adopting a qualitative research approach seems viable for the study
since it attempts to understand, explore and interpret human nature (Morgan and Smircich,
1980) as well as interplay between numerous parties in the setting e.g. natural elements,
manpower and decision makers e.t.c
3.2 Sampling
In social science there are two major sampling methodologies namely: probability and non-
probability. Probability involves random selection of subjects while the non-probability
sampling does not involve random selection of the subjects. Basically, researchers prefer
probabilistic sampling technique over non-probabilistic techniques because they are
considered more accurate and reliable. Due to the complications and difficulties experienced
in accessing human behavior and motivations in social science research settings. Hence,
probabilistic sampling technique may not be practical or feasible. Perhaps, non-probabilistic
technique may be, non-probabilistic technique is categorized into two groups namely:
accidental and purposive. However, the most used method is the purposive methods because
they represent the target population in our mind. In this study we employed purposive
sampling technique, in this type of sampling technique respondents are chosen because of
easiness and availability to recruit as well as proximity to the researcher. In addition the
researcher assumes that the target population represents the population interest (Orozco &
Lentz 2005)
3.3 Data Collection
To achieve the study objectives, three qualitative research questions were developed. The
questions were not back-translated because most of the government officials in tourism sector
in Albania speaks and understand English very well. Further, Silverman (2000) stated that
qualitative methods allow deeper understanding of the phenomena. In this study we conducted
semi-structured in-depth interviews with government officials and private tourism firm
administrators and managers in Albania. We used open-ended questions to enable our subjects
clearly express their ideas and views. Before the data collection we conducted preliminary
studies to make sure that they understand the questions; few ambiguous statements were
17

revised. The interviewees were informed and assured of their confidentiality; this was done to
eliminate social desirability bias of the respondents (Abubakar et al., 2014). Open ended
questions asked includes

1. What factors of productions are needed for branding and to develop Albanian tourism
sector.
2. How will government institutions and firms supporting tourism activities brand
themselves in order to create a sustainable destination image?
3. Do you think branding Albanian as a tourism destination would increase demands and
number of tourist? If yes how?
4. How would you brand Albanian people, product, culture and tourism to attract and
increase the number of visitors?

At the end no changes were made and a total of -- interviews was observed. We stopped the
interviews because no additional insights were retrieved similar to the procedures undertaken
by (Strauss & Corbin, 1998; Abubakar et al., 2014). The interviews sessions were tape-
recorded and subsequently then transcribed into text (Lo and Lee, 2011). For data analysis we
added the transcribed text into qualitative analysis software (AQUAD 7) and content analysis
was done.






18

Chapter 4
DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS
This chapter explains detailed information about the results of the empirical study


Chapter 5
CONCLUSION
This chapter presents elaborations of the findings demonstrated in the previous chapter. The
section also provides brief explanations regarding managerial implications, limitations and
implications for future research






19

REFERENCES

Abubakar, A.M and Ilkan, M. (2014). eWOM and the 3W's Who, Why and What. LAP
LAMBERT Academic Publishing, Morebooks. Germany.

Morgan, G., & Smircich, L. (1980). The Case for Qualitative Research. The Academy of
Management Review, 5 (4), 491-500.

Ormerod, R.J. (2010). Rational Inference: deductive, inductive and probabilist ic thinking.
Journal of Operational Research Society, 61 (8), 1207-1223.

Silverman, D. & Marvasti, A. (2008). Doing Qualitative Research: A Comprehensive Guide.
California: Sage Publication.

Orozco, O.L. & D.L. Lentz. 2005. Poisonous plants and their uses as insecticides in
Cajamarca, Peru. Economic Botany 59:166-173.

Abubakar,

A.M; Shneikat, B.H.T. and Oday,

A. (2014). Motivational factors for educational
tourism: A case study in Northern Cyprus. Tourism Management Perspectives Vol. (11), pp.
5862.

Silverman, D. (2000), Doing Qualitative Research: A Practical Handbook. Thousand Oaks,
CA, Sage.
Lo, A.S. & Lee, C.Y.S. (2011), "Motivations and perceived value of volunteer tourists from
Hong Kong", Tourism Management Vol. 32 No.2, pp.326334.

Strauss, A. L. & Corbin, J. M. (1998), Basics of qualitative research: Techniques and
procedures for developing grounded theory (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage
Publications
20


Gursoy, D., Chi,C.G. and Dyer, P (2010) Locals' attitudes toward mass and alternative
tourism: the case of Sunshine Coast, Australia Journal of Travel Research, Vol. 49(3) pp.
381394.
Hall, D.R. (1990). Stalinism and Tourism. A Study of Albania and North Korea. Annals of
Tourism Research, 17(1): 36-54.

WTO. (2000). Yearbook of tourism statistics. Madrid: World Tourism Organization.

Garca, J.A., Gmez, M. and Molina, A. (2012), A destination-branding model: An empirical
analysis based on stakeholders,Tourism Management Vol. 33, pp.646-661

Aaker, D. A. (1991). Managing brand equity. New York: Free Press.

Boo, S., Busser, J., & Baloglu, S. (2009). A model of customer-based brand equity and its
application to multiple destinations. Tourism Management, 30(2), 219-231.

Pike, S. (2005). Tourism destination branding complexity. Journal of Product & Brand
Management, 14(4), 258-259.

Hankinson, G. (2004). Relational network brands: towards a conceptual model of place
brands. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 10(2), 109-121

Blain, C., Levy, S. E., & Ritchie, J. R. B. (2005). Destination branding: insights and practices
from destination management organizations. Journal of Travel Research, 43(4), 328-338.

Ritchie, J. R. B., & Ritchie, R. J. B. (1998). The branding of tourism destinations: past
achievements and future challenges. In AIEST. (Ed.), Proceedings of the 1998 annual
congress of the International Association of Scientific Experts in Tourism, destination
marketing: Scopes and limitations (pp. 89e116). Marrakech: International Association of
Scientific Experts in Tourism.
21


Leiper, N. (1983). An Etimology of Tourism. Annals of Tourism Research (2). New York:
Pergamon Press. Vol.10

Korstanje, M. (2007). The Origin and meaning of Tourism: Etymological study. A Review of
Tourism Research, Vol.5(5) pp.100-108. Texas A&M University, US

Korstanje, M. (2012). Examining the Norse mythology and the archetype of Odin: The
inception of Grand Tour. Tourism, An international Interdisciplinary Journal. Vol. 60(4), pp.
369-384

William F.T. (1998). Global Tourism (2nd ed), ButterworthHeinemann. Oxford: England,
pp. 67.

Singh, L. K. (2008). "Issues in Tourism Industry". Fundamental of Tourism and Travel. Delhi:
Isha Books. p. 189.

Arthur, H. (1961). Le Turisme et La Biblie. Revue lAcadmie Internationale du Turisme.
Monaco.

Ingle, R. (1991), Thomas Cook of Leicester, Bangor, Headstart History.

Higgins-Desbiolles, F. (2006), More than an industry: The forgotten power of tourism as a
social force. Tourism Management, Vol.27 pp.11921208.

MacCannell, D. (1976). The tourist: A new theory of the leisure class. New York: Schocken
Books.

McKean, P. F. (1989). Towards a theoretical analysis of tourism: Economic dualism and
cultural involution in Bali. In V. L. Smith (Ed.), Hosts and guests: The anthropology of
tourism (pp. 119138). Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press
22


Smith, S. L. J. (1988). Defining tourism: A supply side view, Annals of Tourism Research,
15, pp.179190.

Cai, L. (2002). Cooperative Branding for Rural Destinations. Annals of Tourism Research
29:720742

Hall, C. (1994). Tourism and Politics: Policy, Power and Place. New York: Wiley.

Hall, C. (2003). Politics and Place: An Analysis of Power in Tourism Communities. In
Tourism in Destination Communities, S. Singh, D. Timothy and R. Dowling, eds., pp. 99
113. Wallingford: CABI Publishing.

Leisen, B. (2001). Image Segmentation: The Case of a Tourism Destination. The Journal of
Services Marketing 15:4966.

Prideaux, B., and Cooper, C. (2002). Marketing and Destination Growth: A Symbiotic
Relationship or Simple Coincidence? Journal of Vacation Marketing 9:3548.

Tribe, J. (2006). The Truth about Tourism. Annals of Tourism Research 33:360381. von
Friedrichs Grangsjo, Y.

Bigne, J. Enrique, M. Isabel Sanchez, and Javier Sanchez. (2001). Tourism Image,
Evaluation Variables and after Purchase Behaviour: Inter-Relationship. Tourism
Management, 22: 607-16.

Mayo, E.J. (1973). Regional Images and Regional Travel Behavior. In Research for
Changing Travel Patterns: Interpretation and Utilization. Proceedings of the Travel Research
Association, Fourth Annual Conference, pp. 211-18

23

Suh, Yong K., and William C. Gartner. (2004). Perceptions in International Urban Tourism:
An Analysis of Travellers to Seoul, Korea. Journal of Travel Research, 43 (1): 39-45.

Goodrich, Jonathan N. (1978). The Relationship between Preferences for and Perceptions of
Vacation Destinations: Application of a Choice Model. Journal of Travel Research, 17 (Fall):
8-13.

GEF (1999), Convention on biological diversity national report biodiversity strategy and
action plan, Sponsor: Glokal Environmental Facility (GEF), Tiraana. Accessed from
http://www.cbd.int/doc/world/al/al-nbsap-01-p1-en.pdf. November 1999.

BLCC (2009),The Balkan Lynx Conservation Compendium". Accessed from Catsg.org.
December 2009.

INSTAT (2014), Instituti i Statistikave - Tiran, Accessed from
http://www.instat.gov.al/en/themes/tourism.aspx. August 2014.

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development/ Touche Ross (1992). Tourism
Development Plan for Albania, Tirana: CDT/EBRD

Baum, T. and Mudambi, R (1996). Attracting Hotel Investment; Insights from Principal
Agent Theory. Hospitality Research Journal, 20(2): 15-29.

Porter, M.E. (1990). The Competitive Advantage of Nations, The Free Press, New York