Content marketing as an innovative tool for building the brand of tourism destinations in the context of digital transformation

Abstract

Abstract: Purpose. In the current conditions of digital transformation of communications and global competition in the tourism sector, content marketing is gaining special importance as an innovative tool for forming a tourism brand. Its use ensures effective interaction between the destination and the consumer, contributes to the formation of trust, increasing brand loyalty and competitiveness of the industry. To investigate the role and significance of content marketing in the formation of the brand of tourist destinations, to determine the main directions and tools of its use, and to substantiate its impact on the competitiveness of territories. Methods. Systematic and comparative analysis, generalization of theoretical approaches, logical modeling and content analysis of information materials and practices of leading tourism brands were applied. Results. The study identified key content marketing tools: storytelling, video and visual content, SEO optimization, social networks, user-generated content, influencer marketing and innovative technologies (VR, AR, AI). It has been established that the systematic use of these tools contributes to increasing the recognition of tourist destinations, strengthening the emotional connection with the audience, developing trust and forming a positive image in the global market. It is substantiated that content marketing is a component of strategic management of the territory brand and can provide synergy between the economic, cultural and communication aspects of tourism development. Conclusions. It has been proven that content marketing is one of the most effective tools for building a tourist brand in the digital economy. Its implementation ensures a sustainable increase in the competitiveness of destinations, increases their attractiveness and contributes to the integration of Ukrainian tourism into the world space. Prospects for further research are related to the development of methods for quantitatively assessing the effectiveness of content strategies and analyzing their impact on the sustainable development of tourism. Keywords: content marketing, content marketing tools, tourism brand, branding, destination, digital transformation, communication strategies, competitiveness.