Identification and capitalization of cultural «genes» as the basis for the design of the tourist brand of a coastal city (based on the material of Dalian, China)

The subject of the research is the process of identifying and capitalizing cultural "genes" as the basis for the design and promotion of the coastal city's tourism brand. The object of the research is the cultural and tourist branding system of the city of Dalian (China). The author examines in detail such aspects of the topic as the analysis of bottlenecks in the development of the Dalian tourism brand, including unclear positioning, uniformity of competitive offers and superficial actualization of cultural capital.The author explores the theoretical foundations of the extraction of cultural "genes" of the territory. He argues for the need for innovative approaches to digital communication and the formation of an integrated regional tourism ecosystem based on the "culture and tourism +" model. Special attention is paid to the practical testing of the proposed methodology using the example of the development and conceptualization of a new travel brand for Dalian called Tanwan. The research methodology is complex, interdisciplinary in nature and is based on the synergetic principle of «cultural empowerment + technological incentive». This approach involves a step-by-step implementation, integrating methods of cultural analysis with innovative digital technologies for the systematic solution of research tasks. The main conclusions of the study are: the need for rebranding, as the current Dalian tourism brand suffers from blurred positioning, which leads to a homogeneity of offers in the tourism market and the inability to stand out from competitors. The author's special contribution to the research of the topic is the development and testing of a comprehensive methodology. The author not only analyzes the problem, but also offers a specific step-by-step rebranding plan. This demonstrates the applicability of the theoretical provisions in practice. The proposed model for the selection of cultural «genes» is a valuable analytical tool. The novelty of the research lies in the systemic integration of culture and technology. Unlike existing works that consider cultural tourism and digital technologies as separate areas, this study suggests their systemic integration. The novelty lies in the development of a synergetic model of «cultural empowerment + technological incentive». The use of the concept of «gene» to identify the key cultural codes of the territory and their subsequent capitalization as the basis for a tourism brand is an innovative approach.

design, brand, tourism, culture, genes, communication, localization, city, Dalian, China