Ljubljana’s Images and Experiences ; Expectations, Satisfaction and the Origin of Ljubljana’s City Image

After its declaration of independence in 1991, Slovenia rejuvenated its capital Ljubljana into a modern and charming city. Although the level of offered services is high, the city does not seem to capitalise its touristic potential completely. This might be the result of an unfavourable city image. This study assesses Ljubljana’s city image through application of methods from economics and social sciences. Through interviews, a salient typology of city image was translated into a scale to measure perceptions of Ljubljana. Perceptions among visitors and non-visitors were compared to explore how the city performs. Subsequently, it was explored how the city image originates. Results show that Ljubljana has a moderately positive image that is often based on stereotypes. Expectations are often exceeded when Ljubljana is visited. Perceptions of the city differ among people, and personal preference seems to be an important determinant of the city image’s favourability. This study emphasizes the need for methods to assess the favourability of the city image and its attributes through the development of a framework for researching city image. Overall, this case study provides a practical overview of a low cost but efficient method to assess how a city is perceived in the light of its marketing strategy. Keywords: urban tourism, city image, image formation factors, city branding, city marketing