Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Experiences as authentic
: The notion of authenticity works at a number of levels within tourism
marketing, but it can broadly be broken down into a cultural lens and an experiential lens.
The utilization of culture in tourism marketing remains a signifi cant and reoccurring theme, the
representation of culture may be seen both in terms of attractions, and also as representing
the tourist having access to a more authentic and real world. These representations can take two
forms. Cultural representations provide the opportunity for the potential to gaze upon traditional
cultures and cultural artifacts, the immersion into these as a tourist enables them to participate
(even if this is only as a voyeur) vicariously in these cultures. The recent 'Incredible India'
advertisement uses this convention, it shows the tourist as an interactive participant, who is
both watching and physically participating in cultural festivals and rituals. This provides an
oppositional world in which to escape the inauthentic post-modern media led world of the
West. Authenticity also operates at the level of the emotional in which it becomes possible
to fi nd meaningful authentic time with your loved ones, family and friends (as seen in the
2010 Thompson 'Time for a Holiday' campaign). This theme of authenticity of emotions is a
recurring theme with a couple being represented sitting alone at a table or walking hand in
hand down a beach or, in the case of Luhrmann's advertisement, swimming in a deserted pool.
The idea of authenticity of emotion and family is heavily used in family orientated marketing
communications and is reinforced by phrases such as 'What would you like your children to
inherit, a house, a clock, the family silver or something a little more valuable . . . memories start
here' ('Center Parcs Memories Start Here!' campaign 2013).
The semiotic language of tourism is specifi c to the subject area, as it draws from the complex
discourse of tourism that is constructed at the historical, social, cultural and individual level. What
is also important within the semiotic language of tourism is to recognize what is left out or
missing from representations of the tourism experience, the sanitization of landscapes (clean
beaches, or, no traffi c or tourists at attractions), and is a signifi cant convention in tourism
marketing. If we are trying to escape, or fi nd authenticity within the tourism experience, it is
important that we do not get distracted by the reality and technology of modern life. So if we
return again to the Luhrmann Australia advertisement, during all of the images of Australia used
in the production, we do not see any other people, telephone poles, cars, technology etc. just an
empty pure un-spoilt timeless environment. If any of these elements of modern life were included
then the message and signifi cance of the campaign would be lost. Through the development of a
conceptual framework it is possible to clearly identify and classify the semiotic themes that are
contained within tourism marketing communications. However, it is more diffi cult to chart how
the individual fi nds meaning and negotiates the marketing landscapes of tourism.
Interpreting tourism texts
The interpretation of marketing texts is an individual refl exive process, although we can state
that marketing communications signpost or direct interpretation of the tourism experience,
much of the interpretation process is reliant upon the individual's personal biography, view of
the world and their value systems. This biography is formed by the reader's social and cultural
background, gender, educational background and geographical awareness of place. In other
words the interpretation of marketing texts is a direct consequence of their epistemological,
ontological and axiological infl uences (for good general discussion of these aspects see Bryman
2004: 21-4), it is these areas of the individual's experience or personality that defi ne the way in
which they relate to the marketing process and the product or service being sold. Each of these
three areas contributes to the individual's interpretation process in a different way, and is
summarized in
Table 8.1
below.
