Employing Creative Tourism to Produce City Branding Derived from Vernacular Settlements: A Review

Many cities are striving to establish distinct identities that have a strong impact both within their local communities and on the international stage. City branding derived from the nearby vernacular settlements has become a strategic method for urban areas to differentiate themselves by emphasizing their distinctive cultural, historical, and social resources. However, often, how to develop city branding, attract tourists through creative tourism, and preserve cultural heritage have been examined independently and not in conjunction with one another. Furthermore, the issues about how to develop creative tourism to support city identity, city branding, and city image are limited. This review article investigates constructing city branding by engaging cultural identity of associated vernacular settlements through creative tourism. The research employs a systematic literature review as a method. It comprised 104 articles from databases that included Scopus and Google Scholar. The papers were subjected to a thorough examination by the VOSviewer program employing content analysis to classify them into four clusters: 1) vernacular settlements, 2) creative tourism, 3) city branding, 4) city identity and city image. It concludes that vernacular settlements have a significant relationship with the identity and image of a city, which may be used to attract and engage different audiences through creative tourism and powerful city branding. A variety of strategies, including architectural preservation, cultural promotion, creative tourism, city identity, traditional crafts, marketing, and community involvement, are used when integrating vernacular settlements into city branding. Cities could construct a unique and genuine brand that draws tourists, encourages community pride, and promotes sustainable growth by utilizing these components. This review article provides insights and possibilities into the creative strategies that cities can adopt to foster a sense of place and identity, enhance their appeal on both national and global stages, and increase the city economy.