Abstract
Current methods in destination branding seldom capture the essence of a brand in operationalizable terms. This research aims to apply causal maps to establish of the essence of a destination. Brand essence describes the cognitive features that cause affective attributes. The study applies cognitive causal modelling by employing a qualitative pre-study based on face to face personal interviews, Study 1 survey utilising a face to face questionnaire and Study 2 based on an online survey. Respondents for the pre-study and Study 1 were recruited using intercept sampling whereas the online sample was drawn with the help of an online consumer panel. The context (the Fens) has a difficult-to-define, almost ephemeral brand. For the Fens, countryside is the most causal attribute of affective outcomes of relaxed and friendly. The dimensions of brand essence reflect attributes that are liked by visitors, considered unique to the destination and have always been there, qualities that are highly useful in defining and promoting the differentiating features of the destination. The project will be developed to extend attention restoration and motivation theories by correlating motivations with causalities post-Covid. This future development will explore recovery from psychological distress during periods of extreme contexts and explore the influence of the changing context on motivations in choices of location to visit.