National Capital Branding: A Comparative Case Study of Canberra, Australia and Wellington, New Zealand

his study examines the destination branding strategies of two national capitals, Canberra and Wellington. Literature on both destination branding and national capital tourism suggests that national capital status may be both beneficial and unfavourable for destination marketing. The results from personal interviews and documentary analysis point to differences between the two national capitals brands where Canberra uses national stories and symbolic concepts heavily while Wellington uses broader city/urban elements. This indicates that national stories, although an important aspect of tourism in national capitals, may also present a number of challenges, including a negative image and low consumer demand, creating practical implications for branding national capitals. The paper suggests further research is necessary to determine how national stories can be utilised in branding to develop a unique selling proposition