What is it about?
This article examines how the Wales Tourist Board targets British tourists, who form the majority of visitors to Wales. While attempting to increase its foreign visitor share, the promotional materials aimed at a British audience are given particular attention. The study highlights two key features of these materials: their interwoven, intertextual nature and their strategy of "domesticating" what is considered typically Welsh. As a result, Wales ends up becoming a "pleasantly different" and even perfected version of England, clearly indicating that the primary target is the potential English tourist.
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Why is it important?
This research reveals how tourist marketing strategies can subtly assimilate cultural identities to appeal to specific audiences, potentially diminishing the uniqueness of a destination. By analysing how Wales is "unothered" for British tourists, the article prompts critical reflection on the balance between attracting visitors and preserving distinct cultural identities, as well as what that says about cultural power dynamics.
Perspectives
This article analyses how Wales crafts its image for a specific audience. It provides valuable insights into the ways tourist marketing can shape perceptions of national identity, encouraging us to consider the implications of "domesticating" cultural differences for the sake of attracting visitors.
Dr José Igor Prieto-Arranz
University of the Balearic Islands
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Unothering Wales. Domestication as a tourist marketing strategy, PASOS Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural, January 2004, University of La Laguna,
DOI: 10.25145/j.pasos.2004.02.018.
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