How ‘capital’ are capital cities on the Internet?

Abstract

Capital cities are gateways to countries or sometimes to broader political entities, such as Brussels for the European Union. They are also often major tourist destinations. A capital city has a symbolic value and is the political decision-making centre. Consequently, capital cities are places of power displayed through urban spatial development and often through heritage sites. This paper therefore looks at different capitals – new and old – to examine the use of ‘capitalness’ in their promotion on the Internet. The aim is to determine whether capital cities make a difference, by highlighting particular features and assets which are related to ‘capital tourism’ and the role of the city as national or supranational capital on their websites. More particularly, we examine the way in which these capitals promote tourism and the extent to which being a capital city actually plays a role in the choice of promoted sights and attractions. By means of a comparative study, this paper analyses the websites of capital cities and their ‘capitalness’ in terms of city branding.

Keywords:

• branding
• capital cities
• content analysis
• promotion
• website