CITY BRANDING AND INCENTIVE TRAVEL: EVOLVING RESEARCH TRENDS

Incentive travel plays a pivotal role in the strategic branding of cities as MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) destinations. By promoting unique and high-value experiences, incentive travel motivates and rewards employees for achieving specific business goals while simultaneously driving the development of destinations. This paper examines 25 academic papers and articles on city branding and incentive travel, tracing the evolution of research and literature from 2000 to the present. Initially, studies focused on the motivational and economic benefits of incentive travel for city branding. However, recent research has shifted towards exploring its role in enhancing city brands and creating distinctive destination experiences. Scholars such as Kavaratzis and Ashworth (2005) have emphasized the importance of cultural and social elements in city branding. The COVID-19 pandemic and advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have significantly shaped the incentive travel market, introducing new trends such as immersive and memorable experiences that transcend traditional travel, the growing appeal of lesser-known destinations, heightened awareness of sustainable travel options, and the integration of AI in city branding, including personalized travel experiences (Tussyadiah & Miller, 2019). By analyzing current literature, this paper offers insights into the evolving research directions on city branding and the use of incentive travel as a branding tool, concluding with suggestions for future research avenues.