The aim of this study is to explore the main elements of the Morocco brand transmitted by Moroccan emigrants, and their perceptions of their influence on the construction of the Morocco brand as a tourist destination. The data was collected through a questionnaire from 131 Moroccan emigrants living in Spain. The findings sum up the most relevant factors of the Morocco brand transmitted by the emigrants to the local population in Spain. These elements are landscape, nature, beaches, mountains, gastronomy and climate, as tangible attributes of the country brand; and hospitality, tradition, joy and multiculturalism, as intangible attributes. All attributes together can be considered as the content of the Morocco brand constructed by emigrants. The results also show that emigrants think that they exert a strong influence on the construction of their country brand, and that the message they transmit of their country is positive, clear and consistent.

The research on destination branding has been centered on analyzing the brand image, considering the perception of tourists of a destination brand. In contrast, there are only a few studies on the analysis of destination branding from the supply side, centered on the brand identity (Konecnik and Go, 2008).

The analysis of brand identity usually adopts a top-down approach (Campelo et al., 2009), which means that it is basically interested in Destination Management Organizations (DMO). However, other stakeholders, like local people also exert an important contribution to the construction of destination brands (Andriotis and Vaughan, 2003; García et al., 2012; and Woosman, 2013).

Local population emerges as a crucial element for distinguishing and selling a tourist destination, because it acts as a differentiation factor between similar competing tourist destinations. In these cases, the strong sense of belonging that local people usually show towards their region of origin can have a significant influence on the construction of the brand. Also, they can communicate better a proper message of the destination and its products to the potential tourists (Campelo et al., 2009 and 2011; and Freire, 2009).

Brand Management Journal, The Morocco Brand, Destination Management Organizations (DMO), Communication of Tourist Destinations, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), Tourist Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction.