Globalization, which led to the opening up of large markets, greatly increased and accelerated the flow of people, goods and capital, reduced the sovereignty of national states and opened up borders, and the development of information and communication technologies, that united the world, influenced the huge growth of the tourism industry. This process has in particular strengthened the position of cities and it has become clear that cities as tourist destinations in a competitive environment must focus on developing and managing their brands. A brand is a quality guarantee for consumers and, apart from functional, offers them emotional benefits and makes buying decisions easier. The aim of the research is to determine how the identity of a city as a tourist destination, expressed through primary and secondary communication, affects its image among tourists as the main target group. The study refers to Dubrovnik, one of the most visited cities in Croatia which depends on the monoculture of tourism, and faces the question of how to act in the common interest of local population and tourists. Primary communication refers to the action of a city when communication is not the content or purpose of that action, but it affects its image within the target audience. Secondary communication implies intentional and organized communication activities of the city, covered by the concept of communication policies, in order to influence the image within the target audience. The study was conducted by the survey method using a questionnaire on a deliberate sample of 1067 subjects in the period from June 1 to September 30, 2017, both hypotheses were confirmed. Dubrovnik's primary communication has a positive impact on the city's image, but it is not sufficient for branding. Secondary communication of Dubrovnik doesn't serve the purpose of branding because it does not increase brand awareness among the target audience and disables the unique positioning of Dubrovnik. It is crucial to brand Dubrovnik in a timely, systematic and quality manner in order to achieve or maintain the competitive advantage of Dubrovnik in relation to other tourist destinations.