Experts, media from home and abroad, and city tourism representatives exchanged views on city branding and marketing on Friday at the Beijing Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit of World Tourism Cities 2013.

"The marketing of a tourism city must be systematic and research-based, with long-term and short-term perspectives in its planning process," said Alastair M. Morrison, a professor at Purdue University's School of Hospitality and Tourism Management.

"It's important to get to the city's unique selling points. What's the core that makes the city different from other cities?"

Clemens Koltringer, marketing analyst of Strategic Destination Development, from the Vienna Tourist Board, agreed.

"As many European cities are promoting similar things, the challenge is how to stand out from others," he said.

According to Michael Sands, deputy director of International Relations and Research under the Dublin City Council, the Irish city has to compete with other nearby European cities.

He said what makes Dublin unique is its residents, who are nice, friendly and like to talk.

Another attraction is the cheap price of luxurious brands in the city. Many high-end stores hire Mandarin-speaking employees to assist Chinese customers, Sands said.

Ge Jingdong, marketing general manager of Chinese online media company Sina, said social media plays an essential role in tourism marketing. As self-guided tours are more popular, many Chinese tourists like to gather tourism information online and through others' comments.