Place Branding: Assessing Local Stakeholders’ Participation in the Tskaltubo Spa Resort “Branding” Process

Abstract

Tskaltubo is a resort with a unique composition of mineral water located in western Georgia. In the 20th century, while Georgia was part of the Soviet Union, Tskaltubo was a popular tourist destination, and the supply and demand of tourism services were regulated and controlled by the state. In the 1990s, after the collapse of the Soviet Union and as a result of subsequent fundamental political-economic changes and civil war, the popularity of the resort declined. The resort infrastructure became a safe haven for the IDPs and gradually degraded. In the last decade, the government of Georgia has demonstrated its commitment to restoring the resort and initiated assessment, planning, and restoration activities. In this process, a Tskaltubo market and technical feasibility study was conducted, and the vision for Tskaltubo development was formed, along with the elaboration of the general and development plans of the city and the introduction of the investment project “New Life of Tskaltubo." According to the mentioned documents, Tskaltubo will transform into an international spa and wellness centre, while the city “brand” is meant to be developed and managed through local engagement and cooperation, and it ought to be attractive to all residents, tourists, and investors. Although in the Tskaltubo development documents there is no mention of the term “place branding," conceptually, the document analysis reveals the vision of developing the Tskaltubo “brand” with local participatory elements. The aim of the study is to assess the level of engagement of local stakeholders, identify the challenges and risks associated with improper participation, and elaborate relevant recommendations to overcome these challenges. To achieve this aim, we employ a mixed-methods approach in the study, and we analyse the issue through the prism of the “participatory place branding” concept. On the one hand, the document analysis revealed the existing challenges and risks in Tskaltubo development documents, while on the other hand, the survey and in-depth interviews conducted during the field research made it possible to identify and assess the perspectives of the local stakeholders, namely, the residents, businesses, and Tskaltubo self-government. Based on the results of the on-site research, there is a high level of motivation and willingness among local stakeholders to actively engage in the process, while the participatory and cooperative/collaborative mechanisms (offered by the parties responsible for the development of the city) are weak and need to be established and/or further developed. In this regard, we highlight the importance of creating Tskaltubo DMO and institutional strengthening of Tskaltubo LAG.