ABSTRACT
By arguing that producers such as tour operators play an influential role in shaping tourists' knowledge about a destination, this chapter reflects the position in tourism political economy literature that asserts the primacy of producers over consumers. The visual consumption of place has long been recognised as a key aspect of tourism. Urry most lucidly articulated this in his formulation of the 'tourist gaze'. Over the past number of years, a key aspect of the South African government's efforts to transform the tourist sector has focused on redrafting and extending the country's tourist image to be more representative of the country's population. Foster's study provides a useful analysis of the nature and ideological context of South Africa's representation in foreign markets. The brochure analysis sought to serve two purposes: to determine the places, destinations and attractions that overseas operators mainly promote, and to evaluate the destination images and representations that these brochures conveyed.
