Reimagining Sustainable Destination Branding in the AI Era: Integrating Ethical Governance and Artificial Intelligence for Stakeholder Value Creation

Abstract

Destination branding has evolved from image-based promotional strategies to strategic governance frameworks that shape long-term competitiveness and stakeholder value (Pike & Page, 2014). Concurrently, sustainability has become a defining imperative in global tourism due to environmental degradation, overtourism, socio-cultural erosion, and climate change pressures (UNWTO, 2018). As destinations compete globally, sustainable positioning is increasingly used as a differentiation strategy.However, despite widespread adoption of sustainability narratives, many destination branding efforts remain symbolic and communication-driven rather than structurally embedded within governance systems (Hanna et al., 2021). In parallel, the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI), big data analytics, and smart tourism technologies has transformed destination marketing organizations (DMOs) into data-driven ecosystems (Gretzel et al., 2015). Yet, the integration of AI within sustainable destination branding frameworks remains under-theorized.This study proposes an integrative conceptual framework that positions AI as an enabler of ethical governance, authenticity, and community-centered sustainable destination branding.