ABSTRACT
Images, words and films contribute to defining ‘what’ a tourist destination is, and the kind of experience that should be had there (Sheller & Urry, 2004). Destinations are described, illustrated and ‘mobilised’ both by promotional and organic sources. As demonstrated in literature (Gunn, 1972; Mansfeld, 1992), the narrative structures built by this mix of sources synchronically and diachronically animate the discourse about places defining, and being influenced by, the tourist gazes and behaviours (MacCannell, 1989; Sheller & Urry, 2004; Urry, 1990). Travel writings play an essential role in these narratives, not only by defining the history of tourism at a destination but also by ‘tagging’ the main features of a destination image. The tourists’ own production of images and stories entangles with this narrative, reproducing (Crang & Travlou, 2009) and posting it on social media boards.
