Resmî Web Siteleri Üzerinden Kentsel Destinasyon İmajının Yansıtılması: Zagreb, Ljubljana ve Belgrad’ın Karşılaştırmalı Analizi

Yıl 2026, Cilt: 6 Sayı: 1, 1 - 28, 31.01.2026

Ceren Gül Artuner Özder

Öz

Bu çalışma, Zagreb, Ljubljana ve Belgrad’ın resmi belediye web siteleri üzerinden kentsel destinasyon imajının dijital ortamda nasıl oluşturulduğunu karşılaştırmalı bir analizle incelemektedir. Araştırma, içerik analizi yöntemiyle bu sitelerde öne çıkan temaları, anahtar kelime dağılımlarını ve iletişim önceliklerini sistematik olarak belirlemektedir. Bulgular, üç şehirde yönetişim, stratejik planlama ve dijitalleşme vurgusunun güçlü olduğunu; buna karşın kültürel anlatılar, deneyimsel içerikler ve sürdürülebilirlik mesajlarının sınırlı kaldığını göstermektedir. Ljubljana, Avrupa Yeşil Başkent kimliğiyle çevresel sürdürülebilirlikte öne çıkarken; Zagreb eğitim ve dijital dönüşüm odaklı bir imaj sergilemekte, Belgrad ise dijital yönetişim ve altyapı temalarını ön plana çıkarmaktadır. Çalışma, destinasyon markalaşmasında kültürel hikâye anlatımı, gastronomi, etkinlik tanıtımı, AR/VR gibi etkileşimli teknolojiler ve çok dilli içerik entegrasyonunun önemini vurgulamaktadır. Sonuç olarak, resmi web sitelerinin deneyimsel ve duygusal unsurları güçlendirmesi, sürdürülebilirlik ve kültürel farklılaşmayı öne çıkararak küresel turizm trendleriyle uyum sağlaması önerilmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Kentsel destinasyon imajı , Resmi web siteleri , İçerik analizi , Dijital turizm pazarlaması , Sürdürülebilir şehir markalaşması.

Projecting Urban Destination Image through Official Websites: A Comparative Analysis of Zagreb, Ljubljana and Belgrade

Öz

This study conducts a comparative analysis of how urban destination image is constructed through the official municipal websites of Zagreb, Ljubljana, and Belgrade. Using a systematic content analysis approach, the research identifies dominant themes, keyword distributions, and communication priorities across these platforms. Findings indicate a strong emphasis on governance, strategic planning, and digitalization in all three cities, while cultural narratives, experiential content, and sustainability messages remain underrepresented. Ljubljana stands out for its environmental sustainability focus, aligned with its European Green Capital identity; Zagreb projects an image centered on education and digital transformation; Belgrade prioritizes digital governance and infrastructure development. The study underscores the importance of cultural storytelling, gastronomy, event promotion, interactive technologies such as AR/VR, and multilingual content integration in destination branding. Ultimately, enhancing experiential and affective elements and emphasizing sustainability and cultural differentiation are recommended to align official websites with global tourism trends and visitor expectations.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Urban destination image , Official websites , Content analysis , Digital tourism marketing

Kaynakça

• Aboalganam, K. M., AlFraihat, S. F., & Tarabieh, S. (2025). The impact of user-generated content on tourist visit intentions: The mediating role of destination imagery. Administrative Sciences, 15(4), 117. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci15040117
• Aggag, A., & Kortam, W. (2025). Using augmented reality to improve tourism marketing effectiveness. Sustainability, 17(13), 5747. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17135747
• Ahmadi, R. K., Purnomo, E. P., & Hadiyati, E. (2024). Integrating marketing strategy: Destination image and digital marketing’s impact on tourist interest in Banyuwangi. Matrik: Jurnal Manajemen, Strategi Bisnis Dan Kewirausahaan, 18(2), 161–176. https://doi.org/10.24843/MATRIK:JMBK.2024.v18.i02. p06
• Alba, C. D., Popescu, L., Sosea, C., & Zaharia, A. (2024). Urban tourism and online marketing of emerging tourism destinations. Annals – Economy Series, 2, 90–102. https://ideas.repec.org/a/cbu/jrnlec/ y2024v2p90-102.html
• Allcca-Alarcón, L., Calagua-Montoya, J., Iparraguirre-Villanueva, O., & Cabanillas-Carbonell, M. (2023). Augmented reality as an option to enhance the tourism experience: A review. International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology, 71(4), 190–202. https://doi.org/10.14445/22315381/IJETT V71I4P217
• AlShaalan, M. K., & Durugbo, C. M. (2024). City branding as innovation for tourism development: Systematic review of literature from 2011 to 2023. Management Review Quarterly, 1–33. https://doi.org/10.1007/ s11301-024-00431-2
• Aman, E. E., Papp-Váry, Á. F., Kangai, D., & Odunga, S. O. (2024). Building a sustainable future: Challenges, opportunities, and innovative strategies for destination branding in tourism. Administrative Sciences, 14(12), 312. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci14120312
• Andrlić, B., Jani, D., & Suphian, R. (2025). Variation of destination image and its influential factors: A conceptual analysis. GeoJournal of Tourism and Geosites, 62(4), 2138–2143. https://doi.org/10.30892/ gtg.62413-1579
• Atlas of Public Management. (2023). Digital government and e-government roles: Summary and concepts. Retrieved from https://www.atlas101.ca
• Baloglu, S., & McCleary, K. W. (1999). A model of destination image formation. Annals of Tourism Research, 26(4), 868–897. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0160-7383(99)00030-4
• Bandinelli, C. (2020). The effect of user-generated content to promote tourism destinations: The importance of perceived authenticity and trust [Master’s thesis, Universidade Católica Portuguesa]. https:// repositorio.ucp.pt/bitstream/10400.14/31195/1/152118056_Camilla%20Bandineli_DPDFA.pdf
• Bernaki, W. (2025). Beyond destination attributes: Examining the experiential dimensions of tourist experience as the core of destination attractiveness and marketing. In B. Alareeni & A. Hamdan (Eds.), Leveraging advanced technologies: Business model innovation and the future (pp. 255–263). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-00447-5_24
• Bernaki, W., & Marso, S. (2023). Tourist experience in destinations: Rethinking a conceptual framework of destination experience. Journal of Marketing Research and Case Studies, 20(23), 1–19. https://doi. org/10.5171/2023.340232
• Bruin, R., Cooper, E., Lamers, M., & Blair, B. (2024). Sustaining the brand and branding sustainability: Landscape as homeland in Greenland’s visual marketing. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 33(11), 2484–2503. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2024.2400572
• Campos, A. C., & Almeida, S. (2022). Global perspectives on strategic storytelling in destination marketing. IGI Global.
• Chen, T., Liu, G., Sui, X., & Solangi, Y. A. (2025). Influencing consumer perceptions in green tourism: Criteria and strategies for effective destination branding. PLOS ONE, 20(2), e0319254. https://doi. org/10.1371/journal.pone.0319254
• Choi, S., Lehto, X. Y., & Morrison, A. M. (2007). Destination image representation on the web: Content analysis of Macau travel-related websites. Tourism Management, 28(1), 118–129. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.tourman.2006.03.002
• Colamatteo, A., Sansone, M., Pagnanelli, M. A., & Bruni, R. (2024). The role of immersive technologies in cultural contexts: Future challenges from the literature. Italian Journal of Marketing, 2024(1), 113 142. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43039-024-00089-4
• Crompton, J. L. (1979). An assessment of the image of Mexico as a vacation destination and the influence of geographical location upon that image. Journal of Travel Research, 17(4), 18–23. https://doi. org/10.1177/004728757901700404
• Day, J., Morrison, A. M., & Coca-Stefaniak, J. A. (2021). Sustainable tourism in urban destinations. International Journal of Tourism Cities, 7(4), 881–886. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJTC-12-2021-290
• Ding, J., Tao, Z., Hou, M., Chen, D., & Wang, L. (2023). A comparative study of perceptions of destination image based on content mining: Fengjing Ancient Town and Zhaojialou Ancient Town as examples. Land, 12(10), 1954. https://doi.org/10.3390/land12101954
• Đorđević, N., & Milićević, S. (2024). Eco-friendly tourism destinations: Strategies for implementing sustainable tourism practices. Economics of Sustainable Development, 8(2), 21–33. https://doi. org/10.5937/ESD2402021D
• Drisko, J. W., & Maschi, T. (2016). Content analysis. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/ acprof:oso/9780190215491.001.0001
• Echtner, C. M., & Ritchie, J. R. B. (1993). The measurement of destination image: An empirical assessment. Journal of Travel Research, 31(4), 3–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/004728759303100402
• El Maazouzi, A. (2020). The impact of official tourism websites on the destination image: The case of Morocco [Master’s thesis, Uppsala University]. https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1474902/ FULLTEXT01.pdf
• El Maich, A., & Zniber, M. (2023). Impact of media experience on intention to visit Agadir region: Mediating role of online destination image in post COVID-19 crisis. Journal of Tourism and Heritage Research, 6(3), 1–27. https://www.jthr.es/index.php/journal/article/view/490
• Elpeze Derdiyok, M., & Yavuz, N. (2021). Unveiling the tapestry: An in-depth exploration of storytelling in destination brand communication: A qualitative analysis. International Interdisciplinary Business Economics Advancement Journal, 2(03), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.55640/business-abc416
• European Commission. (2025, October). Ljubljana – Category winner: Sustainability (European Capital & Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism). Retrieved October 2025, from https://smart-tourism-capital. ec.europa.eu/ljubljana-category-winner-sustainability_en
• Fernández-Cavia, J. (2020). Official destination websites. In S. McWha, M. Sigala, & E. Gretzel (Eds.), The Routledge companion to media and tourism (pp. 121–131). Routledge. https://doi. org/10.4324/9780429430398-16
• Fernández-Cavia, J., Marchiori, E., Haven-Tang, C., & Cantoni, L. (2017). Online communication in Spanish destination marketing organizations: The view of practitioners. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 23(3), 264–273. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356766716640840
• Forbes Technology Council. (2024, September 17). How AR is impacting the tourism industry. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbestechcouncil/2024/09/17/how-ar-is-impacting-the-tourism industry/
• Garanti, Z., Ilkhanizadeh, S., & Liasidou, S. (2024). Sustainable place branding and visitors’ responses: A systematic literature review. Sustainability, 16(8), 3312. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16083312
• Gartner, W. C. (1994). Image formation process. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 2(2–3), 191–215. https://doi.org/10.1300/J073v02n02_12
• Grodach, C. (2009). Urban branding: An analysis of city homepage imagery. Journal of Architectural and Planning Research, 26(3), 181–197. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43030868
• He, Y., & Wang, W. (2025). Factors influencing visitors’ use of augmented reality technology in museum guided tours. PLOS ONE, 20(10), e0332688. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0332688
• ICLEI. (2023). Digitalization for sustainable urban development: Policy brief. ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability. Retrieved from https://iclei.org Infozagreb. (2025, October). Zagreb Tourist Board. Retrieved October 2025, from https://www.infozagreb.hr/en
• Jiménez-Barreto, J., & Campo-Martínez, S. (2018). Destination website quality, users’ attitudes and the willingness to participate in online co-creation experiences. European Journal of Management and Business Economics, 27(1), 26–41. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJMBE-11-2017-0048
• Keleş, H., Ergün, G. S., & Taşpınar, B. (2024). Visual destination image from online perspective: The case of “GoTürkiye.” Business & Management Studies: An International Journal, 12(4), 766–779. https://doi. org/10.15295/bmij.v12i4.2435
• Kim, H., & Chen, J. S. (2015). Destination image formation process: A holistic model. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 21(4), 365–377. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356766715591870
• Krippendorff, K. (2018). Content analysis: An introduction to its methodology (3rd ed.). Sage Publications. Kusumaningrum, S. D., Wikurendra, E. A., & Marhadi, M. (2024). How can sustainability add value in destination marketing? The tourist perspective. Cogent Business & Management, 11(1), 2425718. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2024.2425718
• Lai, M. Y., Khoo-Lattimore, C., & Wang, Y. (2019). Food and cuisine image in destination branding: Toward a conceptual model. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 19(2), 238–251. https://www.jstor.org/ stable/26618737 Liang, L. J., & Elliot, S. (2021). A systematic review of augmented reality tourism research: What is now and what is next? Tourism and Hospitality Research, 21(1), 15–30. https://doi.org/10.1177/1467358420941913
• Lin, H., Wen, H., & Ma, Z. (2024). A study on the construction of destination image for China’s county-level integrated media centers: A case study of four counties in Fuzhou. Frontiers in Communication, 9, 1346212. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2024.1346212
• Lojo, A., Li, M., & Xu, H. (2020). Online tourism destination image: Components, information sources, and incongruence. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 37(4), 495–509. https://doi.org/10.1080/1054 8408.2020.1785370
• Luna-Nevarez, C., & Hyman, M. R. (2012). Common practices in destination website design. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 1(1–2), 94–106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2012.08.002
• Marchi, V., & Raschi, A. (2022). Measuring destination image of an Italian island: An analysis of online content generated by local operators and tourists. Island Studies Journal, 17(1), 259–279. https://doi. org/10.24043/isj.168
• Marine-Roig, E., & Clavé, S. A. (2016). Destination image gaps between official tourism websites and user generated content. In Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2016: Proceedings of the International Conference in Bilbao, Spain, February 2–5, 2016 (pp. 253–265). Springer. https://doi. org/10.1007/978-3-319-28231-2_19
• Maxim, C., Morrison, A. M., & Coca-Stefaniak, J. A. (2024). Handbook on sustainable urban tourism. Edward Elgar Publishing.
• Miraz, M. H., Ali, M., & Excell, P. S. (2017). Multilingual website usability analysis based on an international user survey. arXiv preprint arXiv:1708.05085. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.1708.05085
• Neuendorf, K. A. (2017). The content analysis guidebook (2nd ed.). Sage Publications.
• OECD. (2023). Digital government frameworks and tools. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org/gov/digital-government/
• Omar, A. M., Hassan, S. B., & Wafik, G. M. (2022). Assessing the importance of DMOs websites in marketing local destinations: A case study of Minia governorate. International Journal of Heritage, Tourism and Hospitality, 16(2), 50–63. https://doi.org/10.21608/ijhth.2022.309514 Perry, M. (2023). Role of cultural heritage preservation in destination branding and tourist experience enhancement. Hospitality and Tourism Journal, 1(1), 36–47. https://forthworthjournals.org/journals/ index.php/HTJ/article/view/69
• Phung, T. B., Nguyen, D. V. P., & Tran, V. P. T. (2025). Storytelling on social media: Forging the path to tourism destination branding. Cogent Business & Management, 12(1), 2482016. https://doi.org/10.1 080/23311975.2025.2482016
• Pike, S. (2002). Destination image analysis—A review of 142 papers from 1973 to 2000. Tourism Management, 23(5), 541–549. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0261-5177(02)00005-5
• Prior, L. (2014). Content analysis. In P. Leavy (Ed.), The Oxford handbook of qualitative research (pp. 359 379). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199811755.001.0001
• Rol, S., & Sert, A. N. (2023). The role of official websites in destination branding: A systematic literature review. Journal of Management and Economic Studies, 5(2), 113–135. https://doi.org/10.26677/ TR1010.2023.1310
• Salgado Moreno, A. L., Mora Forero, J. A., García Revilla, R., & Martinez Moure, O. (2024). Research trends in communication and tourism: A systematic review and bibliometric analysis. Administrative Sciences, 14(9), 208. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci14090208
• Santos, S., Ferreira, S., & Vasconcelos, M. (2024, May 21). User-generated content in tourism: Could it impact brand equity and intention to visit? [Paper presentation]. 2024 ECSM – European Conference on Social Media, 11(1), 235–242. https://doi.org/10.34190/ecsm.11.1.2271
• Shizhen, L., Hussain, K., Ari Ragavan, N., & Nisar, Q. A. (2025). The role of destination brand experience, emotions and brand credibility in influencing destination brand equity. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, 8(5), 1743–1763. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTI-09-2024-1000
• Stepchenkova, S., & Mills, J. E. (2010). Destination image: A meta-analysis of 2000–2007 research. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 19(6), 575–609. https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2010.49 3071 Stepchenkova, S., & Zhan, F. (2013). Visual destination images of Peru: Comparative content analysis of DMO and user-generated photography. Tourism Management, 36, 590–601. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. tourman.2012.08.006
• Sun, W., Tang, S., & Liu, F. (2021). Examining perceived and projected destination image: A social media content analysis. Sustainability, 13(6), 3354. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13063354
• Syafganti, I., Ramadanty, S., & Walrave, M. (2023). The consistency of projected online destination images: Comparing the official websites and Instagram accounts of main destinations in Southeast Asia. Journal of Place Management and Development, 16(2), 163–182. https://doi.org/10.1108/jpmd-11 2021-0108
• Tang, J., Wang, J., Zhang, M., & Huang, W. (2023). How destination brand experience influences tourist citizenship behavior: Testing mediation of brand relationship quality and moderation effects on commitment. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1080457. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1080457
• tom Dieck, M. C., Han, D.-I. D., & Rauschnabel, P. A. (2024). Augmented reality marketing in hospitality and tourism: A guide for researchers and managers. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 36(13), 97–117. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-09-2023-1513
• Tourist Organization of Belgrade. (2025, October). Official portal. Retrieved October 2025, from https:// www.tob.rs/en
• Tsimakis, A., Sotiropoulou, I., Telonis, G., Halkiopoulos, C., & Boutsinas, B. (2024). Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in tourism and hospitality: A systematic evaluation. In V. Katsoni & G. Cassar (Eds.), Recent advancements in tourism business, technology and social sciences (pp. xx–xx). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-54338-8_5
• UNESCO, UN Tourism, & UN-Habitat. (2025). Culture-driven sustainable urban tourism: Policy synthesis. UNESCO Publishing. Retrieved from https://unesco.org
• UNWTO. (2016). Accessible tourism manual for all: Principles, tools and best practices. World Tourism Organization. https://doi.org/10.18111/9789284418022
• UNWTO. (2020). UNWTO recommendations on urban tourism. World Tourism Organization. https://doi. org/10.18111/9789284422012
• UNWTO & ENAT. (2016). Accessible information in tourism: Guidance for inclusive communication. World Tourism Organization & European Network for Accessible Tourism. Retrieved from https://www. accessibletourism.org
• UNWTO & European Travel Commission. (2017). Handbook on key performance indicators for tourism marketing evaluation. World Tourism Organization. https://doi.org/10.18111/9789284418527
• Vinyals-Mirabent, S. (2019). Benchmarking official websites of European urban destinations: Attractors and competitiveness. Tourism Management, 74, 340–355. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2019.02.006
• Visit Ljubljana. (2025, October). Official portal. Retrieved October 2025, from https://www.visitljubljana. com/en/visitors
• Wan, F., & Li, J. (2024). Navigating the digital age: City branding in the era of social media and digital transformation. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 15, 16666–16699. https://doi.org/10.1007/ s13132-024-01795-2
• Wang, Z., Udomwong, P., Fu, J., & Onpium, P. (2023). Destination image: A review from 2012 to 2023. Cogent Social Sciences, 9(1), 2240569. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2023.2240569
• Wijaya, C. O., Wijaya, S., & Jaolis, F. (2025). The influence of social media content on attitude, destination image and intention of female Muslim travelers to visit halal destinations: Comparison between UGC and FGC. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 16(2), 402–427. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-08-2023-0235
• World Tourism Organization. (2020). UNWTO recommendations on urban tourism. UNWTO. https://doi. org/10.18111/9789284422012
• World Tourism Organization & European Travel Commission. (2017). Handbook on key performance indicators for tourism marketing evaluation. UNWTO. https://doi.org/10.18111/9789284418527
• Xanthakis, M., Simatou, A., Antonopoulos, N., Kanavos, A., & Mylonas, N. (2024). Alternative forms of tourism: A comparative study of website effectiveness in promoting UNESCO global geoparks and international dark sky parks. Sustainability, 16(2), 864–884. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16020864
• Yamagishi, K., Canayong, D., Domingo, M., Nieva Maneja, K., Montolo, A., & Siton, A. (2024). User generated content on Gen Z tourist visit intention: A stimulus-organism-response approach. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, 7(4), 1949–1973. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTI-02-2023-0091
• Yin, J., Feng, J., Wu, R., & Jia, M. (2023). Tourists’ perception of Macau’s city image: Based on the analysis of user-generated content (UGC) text data. Buildings, 13(7), 1721. https://doi.org/10.3390/ buildings13071721
• Zaim, I. A., Koesoemadinata, M. I. P., & Sari, S. A. (2022). Sundanese culture representation in tourism marketing: A visual content and semiotic analysis of website pictorial element. The Asian Journal of Technology Management, 15(3), 224–234. https://doi.org/10.12695/ajtm.2022.15.3.3
• Zhang, H., Xu, F., Lu, L., & Lei, Y. (2015). Cultural capital and destination image of metropolitans: A comparative study of New York and Tokyo official tourism websites in Chinese. Journal of China Tourism Research, 11(2), 121–149. https://doi.org/10.1080/19388160.2014.997414
• Zins, A. H., & Abbas Adamu, A. (2023). Heritage storytelling in destination marketing: Cases from Malaysian states. Journal of Heritage Tourism, 19(5), 669–681. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743873X.2023.2232476