A brand can turn a geographical location into a landmark and influences the tourist planification of a city. Although the world tourist sector recognizes Malaga as The Coast of Sun, this analysis also reveals several more elements, which should be substantiated if a rebranding is carried out. If the brand is well managed, the residents’ perspective must be taken into account. Avoiding the seasonality and keeping the destination in the future will allow the sustainable development of the tourism in the city of Malaga. In order to achieve the goals set in this research, a descriptive methodology has been used. This study has been carried out using a questionnaire in which 1230 residents have participated. Indeed, the results show that Malaga brand is being built under the concept of culture and that some attributes are vital for the territory’s image. This encourages economic growth and hence employment. This paper offers important implications to both public and private institutions insofar as they promote tourism campaigns.

The certification of Malaga and Ronda wine route, within the model of certified wine routes in Spain, has given a new boost to wine tourism in Malaga. The study focuses on La Axarquía, located on the Eastern Costa del Sol in Southern Spain, which has been a reference point in the wine business since ancient times and has its own identity. This research aims at elaborating a diagnosis of the territory related to the possibilities offered by the area, from the perspective of the heritage resources and services provided by the winemakers outlining two efficient enotourism itineraries that enhance the value of the territory’s resources. The methodology used starts with the study of the territory in order to profile the existing resources, a task that was complemented by the analysis of the documentary sources required in order to understand the peculiarities of the territory. From there, a process of interviews was carried out between April and November 2019 with 100% of the winemakers and around 70% of the territory’s agents. The results of the research are specified in a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis, which has allowed evaluating the possibilities of the enotourist development in La Axarquía, which is complemented with a proposal of two possible itineraries that will promote such development of the rural territory. The conclusions convey the possibilities of the territory of a tourist segment which puts its resources to good use and moves forward the deseasonalization and destructuring of tourism in Malaga, especially on the Eastern Costa del Sol, according to criteria of efficiency and profitability with wine as a reference, although it could be applied to other gastronomic and cultural resources linked to the tourist sector in other geographical areas.

Sustainability is to promote economic growth that generates equitable wealth for all without harming the environment, becoming one of the objectives that serve as a starting point for many place branding strategies. Cultural heritage, environmental sustainability, and the valorization of the territory are nowadays unavoidable elements to sustain brands. This research analyzes the transmission of place branding values through experiential events, as a formula for business improvement according to the principles of sustainable development. The research is focused on the case of wine in British Columbia (Canada). The methodology applied was based on a theoretical framework as a starting point for the study. From there, on the one hand, an analysis of the contents of the events carried out by the winegrowers of British Columbia during the harvest months in 2019 and 2020 has been carried out. On the other hand, interviews were conducted with relevant professionals and academics in the sector in order to determine the extent to which they meet the needs of promotion of the site, taking into account the impact on the sustainability of the territory. The results show the link between the events and the territory brand, which is a means to generate growth through wine tourism promoted by the wineries, thus revaluing the winegrowing landscape and, in general, the traditions of the place, among others. There is also a need to look for strategies that seek collaboration between the public and private sectors to improve the creation of integrated events that transmit the branding values of the place. Events are a tool to generate territory branding and can, if well-conceived, contribute to the sustainable development goals (SDGs). In the case study, the results show that the vast majority of events organized by BC wineries aim to promote place branding within the framework of sustainability. A methodology that could be applicable to other territories and countries.

The design of enotourist routes represents an opportunity for the sustainable development of rural territories. This qualitative study was structured in three parts to reach a cohesion model representing the academic literature, visitors, and winemakers. This research focused on the region of La Axarquía in Málaga (Spain) because of its wine and tourist tradition. In relation to the methodology, this study used content analysis techniques for the analysis of both the relevant literature and the questionnaires completed by all the winemakers of the territory, 60 tourists who visited the wineries, and the 10 most representative agents linked to the tourist development of this region. The findings provided a model with the elements to be taken into account in the creation of a wine route or itinerary in any destination of the world. The application of this model will contribute to the creation of new tourist policies that can move towards efficient progress of the region.

Territory brands are vehicles for transmitting the attributes that identify a geographical setting, they facilitate market positioning and can contribute to generating an opinion that determines the promotion strategies of a place. The investment decisions of both private companies and institutional bodies will be strengthened if residents and tourists’ perception is known, seeking to reconcile the interests of visitors and citizens with the aim of collaborating in the creation of the city’s tourism planning under the principles of sustainability, open innovation and co-creation of value. The methodology used for this research focuses on an empirical study, for which a sample of 780 individuals was designed so that the Malaga brand was subjected to analysis with criteria of innovative opportunity, applying constructs that were measured with existing and proven scales. The results allow us to identify that the Malaga brand is being built and managed on the basis of the cultural projection of the city and its image attributes. The ratings of tourists and residents will serve as a basis for improving the management of Malaga as a tourist destination by the institutions involved, taking into account the interest of open innovation. The conclusions of the research can be extrapolated to other geographical environments with similar levels of tourism development.

La evolución tecnológica unida al uso de las tecnologías TICs y otros recursos de comunicación digitales como la realidad virtual, aumentada y la tecnología 4D están transformando el ciclo de la experiencia turística. El turismo del vino debe adaptarse para que una experiencia enoturística sea inolvidable y por lo tanto sea recomendada debe ser innovadora y multisensorial. Se ha realizado un análisis bibliométrico en base a la literatura científica en relación con la digitalización de la experiencia enoturística y el uso de los recursos de comunicación digital. Se examinaron un total de 72 documentos académicos que arrojan como resultado que los productores pueden incrementar el valor de la experiencia hedónica al acercar la bodega al cliente antes de realizar la visita, durante la misma y en la post-visita. Si la experiencia de todo el proceso es satisfactoria, se consigue un E-WOM (boca a boca digital) positivo y la creación de una comunidad de marca leal.