Quando una destinazione turistica cambia nome: l’importanza della toponomastica, opportunità e rischi del re-branding territoriale

In tourism studies, a particularly relevant area of research concerns the brand associated with a destination. The strategic process of managing the identity, reputation, and perception of a geographical area within the context of territorial marketing is called place branding. This is a highly sensitive activity: while in the past the primary objective was primarily quantitative, that is, increasing tourist arrivals, today it is clear that building and managing a territorial brand also involves social, cultural, psychological and identity-related aspects. If these elements are not carefully anticipated and managed, any place branding initiative can prove ineffective. This essay specifically analyzes the central role of toponymy and, starting from the theoretical foundations of toponyms, shows how, in tourism, one can even radically change the name of a destination to make it more attractive. However, this is an operation that is sometimes effective, but highly delicate and often risky, especially if it is not shared with the local community, as we will demonstrate in some significant cases from the history of tourism, both past and recent.