Many tourist cities face the problems regarding the social impact of short-term tourist rental. The rapid development of the tourism economy in recent years, combined with the development of digital technologies and the emergence of peer-to-peer digital platforms, has brought both positive and negative effects of the transformations. The problem is difficult and complex because the attitudes of local stakeholders vary. While residents look only through the phenomenon of gentrification and quality of life, entrepreneurs see in the short-term lease unconditional economic benefits. Cities, protecting the public interest, try to eliminate the adverse effects of tourist short-term rental in various ways. The article presents the attitudes of three groups of stakeholders in Cracow towards the phenomenon of short-term rental, namely residents, hoteliers and restaurateurs.

The article indicates the potential of revitalization activities in the process of building the image of the city, associated also with its “brand”. It shows the role of city-marketing to create a city product, connected to the development of the cultural industries and the urban tourism. The article indicates common areas between the revitalization process and the creating the city brand, focusing on Gdańsk. Two main documents are taken into account: Brand Strategy Gdańsk until 2013 and Program for the development and promotion of the product off er of Gdańsk and the region in the 2014-2020 perspective. The article shows different types of revitalization activities aff ecting the image of Gdańsk, including: the spectacular investments in postindustrial areas, as well as residents’ and independent organizations’ activities, aiming to transform and to promote neglected, but valuable, areas of the city.