The importance of heritage on the overall perceived image of a place: Barcelona seen by its residents

Abstract

Place branding literature generally defines heritage as a major attribute that composes place brands. Moreover, the concept of heritage is deeply connected to place identity, to the point that some authors describe it as its DNA. In this sense, the aim of this article is to test the importance of heritage on the overall perceived image of the city of Barcelona (Spain) by analyzing opinions and perceptions from its local residents. To do so, 300 citizens were surveyed from 10th December 2014 to 30th January 2015 by using a specialized questionnaire designed for studying overall place image perception. Results of the study showed that heritage was a highly valued attribute that clearly dominated above other key attributes in the minds of citizens. Finally, potential opportunities and advantages for Barcelona’s brand arising from those perceptions are discussed.