What is it about?
This article analyses how Welsh tourist materials aimed at international audiences create a culturally distinct image of Wales, differing from materials targeted at British tourists. Following Halliday's and Kress & Leeuwen's methodologies, it studies the verbal and visual elements used by the Welsh Tourist Board to attract overseas visitors. The research focuses on how heritage is used as a tool for creating identity, with the goal of deconstructing this image, which is arguably related to Wales's delicate position within an increasingly (dis)United Kingdom.
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Why is it important?
This research is important because it sheds light on how tourist marketing constructs and promotes national identities to different audiences, potentially reinforcing stereotypes or creating idealised representations. By deconstructing these images, the article encourages critical reflections on the complexities of national identity within a changing political landscape, highlighting the cultural and economic forces at play.
Perspectives
This article offers a valuable and nuanced analysis of how Wales projects itself to the world. It explores the strategies employed to construct a desirable image for international visitors, while also acknowledging the tensions and complexities inherent in defining national identity within a larger union. It contributes to a greater understanding of how nations negotiate identity through tourism and marketing.
Dr José Igor Prieto-Arranz
University of the Balearic Islands
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Selling an/other Wales. A deconstructive approach, PASOS Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural, January 2006, University of La Laguna,
DOI: 10.25145/j.pasos.2006.04.003.
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