Branding a destination in a political crises: Re-learning, re-thinking and re-aligning strategies NJLC, Volume 3: Number 2, December 2009 1 Branding a destination in a political crisis: Re-learning, re-thinking and re- aligning strategies Joram Ndlovu, Elias Nyakunu, Polytechnic of Namibia; Ernie, T. Heath, University of Pretoria Abstract Contested election results or coups de dat have triggered political violence that has swept across a number of African countries, negatively affecting their tourism destinations. Thus, a political crisis can cause a signiicant disaster since it has the potential of impacting negatively the smooth operations of the tourism industry. This paper discusses the prospects of branding destinations and the opportunities thereof. Destination branding literature reveals that every destination should include crisis management strategies in its tourism planning processes, management activities and destination marketing programmes. The paper concurs that destination branding should be married with crisis management strategies in order to turn a crisis into a proitable opportunity. However, in the prevailing fragile, economic and political conditions the traditional notion of positioning a destination is no longer effective. Destination Marketing Organisations need to position their destinations in such a way that, despite uncertain conditions, they can exploit the scarce windows of opportunities. The paper proposes that in this ever increasing non-linear world, it is only the non-linear strategies that can create new tourism wealth. The paper concludes that though destination branding is an essential tool for positioning a destination, in order to be effective, Destination Marketing Organisations need to re-learn the destination strategy process, re-align their strategies and decisions. Introduction A destination brand is used in destination marketing primarily to project a positive image of tourism at a destination. Destination branding plays also a signiicant role in positioning a destination. This paper deines a destination brand and explores its key features. It discusses the functions of brands, analyses the factors that can affect destination brands and develops a framework that can be used by a destination experiencing a political crisis to market its destination brand. It concludes by developing strategies and recommendations that can be used by a destination going through a political crisis to reposition itself successfully. Deining qualities of tourism While a destination can be considered as a single product comprising of every kind of tourism operation in its geographical area. It can also be viewed legitimately as a composite product that comprises a mix of various components (the destination mix) (Morrison & Anderson, 2002:10). According to Heath (2004:40), a ‘’destination represents a mental picture in the minds of current and potential visitors’’. Perceptions such as cheap versus exclusive or safe versus dangerous often overshadow reality. Thus, the tourism industry operates in a complex and changing environment that is characterized by several challenges (Heath, 2007:263). In most cases, destination marketers have little control over the elements of the destination mix that they are branding.