Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
in the forms of icons, symbols and indexical signs that make the link between marketing
communications and the individually negotiated experience of tourism.
The semiotic language of tourism marketing
Through the analysis of various tourism marketing texts including brochures, websites and
television adverts, it is unmistakable that tourism marketing both relies upon, and creates,
what may be termed a semiotic language of marketing (Tresidder 2010; Tresidder and Hirst
2012). This language of tourism marketing is formed by a number of reoccurring conven-
tions, themes, images and words, which signpost a comprehensible and appreciated contem-
porary experience of tourism. These conventions include various discourses that revolve around
escape, authenticity, luxury, freedom, experience, play and time (Tresidder 2010). These may be
divided into a number of pervasive categories the most dominant of these being time and
authenticity.
The semiotic time and space of tourism
This operates at a number of levels, the purpose of focusing on time and space has two purposes,
the fi rst purpose is to elevate the experience to that of the extraordinary and secondly
the difference between time and space as a part of everyday lived experience and touristic time
and space.
Time as extraordinary
: There is a clear convention that there is a clear division between the
extraordinary nature of touristic time and the stress, monotony of everyday lived experiences
such as sitting in a traffi c jam or doing your washing. This is demonstrated in the use of time to
set up the experience of tourism. For example we will witness discussion about 'not enough
time in the week' or 'everyone wants a part of you'. In the recent Baz Luhrmann television and
cinema advertisement for Australia, the extraordinary nature of the Australian Outback was set
against the dark, rainy, stressful urban environment of New York, whereby the executive was
stressed and arguing with her partner. This was used as juxtaposition against the un-spoilt, light,
sunny undeveloped Australian landscape in which it became possible to relax and fi nd peace in
both life and her relationship. Time becomes used as a means of both fi xing everyday lived
experience and release into a refl exive and therapeutic space. A very good example of this is the
2010 Thompson 'Time for a Holiday' campaign, the dialogue which accompanied moving
images of a family being together, swimming, having fun on the beach, hugging each other and
playing, expressed the signifi cance of time in our lives and the relationship between tourism
and time, its constraints and the blurring between work and play time. What this advert does, and
others like it, is to provide us with an alternative conception of time that is removed from
the stress of everyday life, it becomes an extraordinary place of escape for two weeks each
year, the chance to take stock of your lives, fi nd meaning. What it also accomplishes is the
identifi cation of a type or form of emotional authenticity of feeling and experience. This is
reinforced by the use of words such as timeless, luxury, escape and freedom.
The semiotics of authenticity
The notion of authenticity has always been identifi ed as an important theme in tourism studies
(MacCannell 1999) and is often seen as a reaction to post-industrial society or part of the
individual's search for meaning. It is also an important convention for tourism marketing as it
adds another level of signifi cance to the tourism experience.
