ABSTRACT
Homo sapiens, it has been said, lives in a ‘forest’ of symbols. The capacity to think in symbolic terms can be said to be definitive of the human condition. Humans engage in semiotic behaviour every hour of the day, for the most part unconsciously. This behaviour ranges from the selection of clothing to the use of idioms in speech. This chapter offers a perspective on the tourist’s behaviours as an ‘amateur semiotician’. The terminology and linguistic origins of semiotic analysis are explained. Semiotic tourist behaviours are discussed, using as examples the purchase of souvenirs, the acquisition of mementos, the creation of a photographic record and the purchase of holiday clothing ensembles. The semiotic practices of the tourism promotional industries are also discussed. These industries often make use of semiotic practices in the construction of advertising material. The practices are explained and illustrated with examples. Included also is an exposition of the marketing device known as the ‘brand’. The ‘brand’ is a symbolic construct, reductionist in nature, designed to offer the consumer a route to purchase decision with minimal conscious thought. Much has been said about so-called ‘destination branding’. However, the tourist’s approach to choosing and planning a tourist trip is conscious and reflective, rather than instinctive. For that reason, the image of a tourist destination is unsuited to symbolic reduction.
