Abstract
Sustainable branding is a concept according to four principles of sustainability and it simultaneously considers audiences' mental images and stakeholders' interests and provides a desired image of tourism destination in audiences' mind in the case that basic sustainability principles, which require planning and management of tourism destination with a collaborative and destination-based approach, and partnership among local communities, are established.The present study was conducted with the aim to design the operational concept of indexing and utilize it in sustainable branding process in coastal tourism destinations. It was descriptive-analytical in terms of method and based on documentary and field methods and experts' views. The present study first identified branding variables and indices in coastal tourism destinations, and then explained how to operate each index through extracting measurement criteria in "Chabahar" coastal destination of Iran, and examined them by designing a questionnaire and collecting experts' views at different levels. Finally Considering the four dimensions of sustainable tourism development (Ecology, Socio-cultural, Economic and Institutional),, 8 main indices(Utility, Coastal landscape, Security, Intercommunity, Investment, Employment, Rules and regulations, Concentration of power) and 20 sub-indices were designed, operated and approved according to four key dimensions for coastal tourism destination branding.
Keywords: Sustainable tourism development, Sustainable branding, indexing, coastal tourism destination, Chabahar