ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the production and consumption of popular place discourses as a key element of image construction of place; drawing upon some well-established concepts of stereotypes and identity, authenticity, myth-making and the mediation of realities' of destinations. The chapter explores a range of theoretical and empirical frameworks that mobilize new understandings of media, mediation and mediatisation in particular touristic contexts. It also offers an insightful account of the importance of socio-historical stereotyping in relation to gender and post-colonial relations, and the subsequent interpretations of place that continue to underpin contemporary touristic understanding of, and engagement with, place as mediated by producers. The chapter also addresses a range of media and technologies from brochures, television, video, film and maps to mediated virtual spaces, such as e-brochures, Internet cultures, social networks, and photo-sharing websites. Constantia Anastasiadou and Nikos Migas recognize that technology has now become intrinsically layered into the tourist experience.
