The purpose of this article is to explore a potential regional
branding strategy for the northern part of Portugal, emphasizing
the regional tourism potential. Furthermore, it aims to clarify the
answers of the following research questions: i) is tourism a
strategic domain with the potential to integrate a branding strategy
at the regional level? ii) is a regional branding strategy an engine
by which to enable economic and social transformation in the
region, thus responding to the contemporary challenges such as
weak economic confidence and unemployment? To answer these
questions, a content analysis on the policy documents: i) Northern
Portugal Strategic Guidelines 2014-2020 and ii) National Strategic Plan
for Tourism 2013-2015 has been performed. In addition, the article
details the results of in-depth interviews conducted with two
regional entities: i) Tourism of Porto and the North of Portugal
(TPNP), in charge of national tourism planning and promotion and
ii) North Regional Coordination and Development Commission
(CCDRN), involved in regional planning and development. The
findings reinforce the importance of tourism as a strategic domain
to boost the economy and create momentum in Northern Portugal.
Moreover, tourism is seen by the respondents as a key objective in
a regional branding strategy