Electronic Theses and Dissertation

City branding merupakan strategi penting dalam pengembangan pariwisata daerah karena berperan dalam membentuk citra dan identitas destinasi yang membedakannya dari wilayah lain. Kota Banda Aceh mengimplementasikan city branding melalui identitas "Charming Banda Aceh" yang menonjolkan nilai budaya, religi, sejarah, dan keunikan lokal. Penelitian ini bertujuan menganalisis pengaruh dimensi pembentuk citra city branding "Charming Banda Aceh" terhadap keputusan berkunjung pengunjung serta merumuskan strategi pengembangannya. Penelitian menggunakan pendekatan mixed methods dengan desain explanatory sequential. Data kuantitatif dianalisis menggunakan regresi linear berganda, sedangkan data kualitatif dianalisis melalui observasi, wawancara, dokumentasi, dan analisis SWOT. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa secara simultan dimensi pembentuk citra city branding berpengaruh signifikan terhadap keputusan berkunjung (F = 2,855; p = 0,012), dengan kemampuan model menjelaskan variasi keputusan berkunjung sebesar 11,4% (R² = 0,114). Secara parsial, hanya dimensi Presence yang berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap keputusan berkunjung (B = 0,300; p = 0,001), sedangkan dimensi Place, Potential, Pulse, People, dan Prerequisite tidak berpengaruh signifikan. Analisis SWOT menghasilkan strategi pengembangan yang berfokus pada penguatan kolaborasi antarpemangku kepentingan, peningkatan dimensi Presence, standarisasi implementasi city branding, pengembangan atraksi wisata, peningkatan kualitas pelayanan, serta optimalisasi pemanfaatan teknologi dalam pengelolaan destinasi. Hasil penelitian ini diharapkan menjadi masukan bagi Pemerintah Kota Banda Aceh dalam memperkuat implementasi "Charming Banda Aceh" sebagai identitas destinasi dan meningkatkan daya saing pariwisata daerah.

City branding is an important strategy in regional tourism development because it plays a key role in shaping a destination's image and identity, distinguishing it from other regions. Banda Aceh has implemented its city branding through the "Charming Banda Aceh" identity, which emphasizes cultural, religious, historical, and local uniqueness as its main tourism attractions. This study aims to analyze the influence of the image-forming dimensions of the "Charming Banda Aceh" city branding on visitors' visiting decisions and to formulate strategies for its further development. This research employed a mixed-methods approach with an explanatory sequential design. Quantitative data were analyzed using multiple linear regression, while qualitative data were obtained through observation, interviews, documentation, and SWOT analysis. The results indicate that, simultaneously, the image-forming dimensions of city branding have a significant effect on visitors' visiting decisions (F = 2.855; p = 0.012), with the model explaining 11.4% of the variance in visiting decisions (R² = 0.114). Partially, only the Presence dimension has a positive and significant effect on visiting decisions (B = 0.300; p = 0.001), whereas the Place, Potential, Pulse, People, and Prerequisite dimensions do not have significant effects. The SWOT analysis produced several development strategies, including strengthening stakeholder collaboration, enhancing the Presence dimension, standardizing the implementation of city branding, developing tourism attractions, improving service quality, and optimizing the use of technology in destination management. The findings are expected to provide recommendations for the Banda Aceh City Government to strengthen the implementation of "Charming Banda Aceh" as the city's tourism identity and improve the competitiveness of its tourism sector.