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Cities that sell themselves: that brand as a destination
Where imagination meets reality: cities as brands.
Passport Insights
September 21, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes
🎬 Opening Scene
In the heart of Venice, a gondolier navigates through flashes and raised phones. Shop windows sell magnets, t-shirts, and little bags of “typical” rice, while a resident tries to weave through the crowd to reach the market. Here, the city presents itself as a life-sized souvenir.
🏛️ Origin
From Neighborhood Identity to Global Image
Near the end of the 20th century, did you notice how many cities started acting like brands? It wasn't enough to just be livable anymore; they wanted to be desirable and competitive in a global market. Have you ever wondered what pushed them to become so attractive to tourists, investors, and talent?
Some cities were incredibly clever about seizing unique opportunities. Barcelona, for example, used the 1992 Olympic Games to completely rebrand itself. Can you imagine the transformation they pulled off? Or think about Bilbao and how the Guggenheim museum became a symbol of its cultural reinvention.
With the rise of globalization and cheap flights, competition really heated up. Suddenly, cities found themselves on rankings like "the most Instagrammable cities" or "the best places to live." This is how cities learned not only to showcase what they had but also to carefully design how they wanted to be perceived, turning their identity into a strategic asset for creating new opportunities.
🔬The Phenomenon
Did you ever think of cities as products to be sold? Today, some cities aren't just places to live, they are marketed. Films, series, influencers, and major events have become tools to project a global image and attract tourists. How is this done?
Paris now evokes style and romance thanks to Emily in Paris, while New Zealand transformed into a fantasy world for fans of The Lord of the Rings. Every story projected anticipates the tourist's experience. Tourism boosts local economies and pushes cities to create memorable, coherent identities. Every festival, movie, or social media post reinforces a specific narrative: what it feels like to be there, what life is like, and what makes that city unique.
The urban brand is no longer just a logo; it's a promise of an experience, a strategic asset that attracts investment, visitors, and global recognition.
🏙️Just look at these cities that have reinvented themselves through their branding:
New York: Energy and a cosmopolitan vibe that leaps from the screen onto the streets.
Venice: A romantic and mysterious feel that tourists want to experience firsthand.
Dubrovnik: A cinematic fantasy that transforms history into a popular destination.
Los Angeles: A mix of movies, glamour, and dreams that attracts visitors from all over the world.
Dubai: Extreme luxury, iconic architecture, and a futuristic vision that projects global aspiration.
