The Geographical imagination of Israeli tourists to Turkey
International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research
ISSN: 1750-6182
Article publication date: 10 June 2020
Issue publication date: 10 June 2020
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine changes in the discourse concerning Israeli tourism to Turkey between 2000 and 2014.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing on the concept of geographic imagination and using a critical cultural discourse analysis of travel stories published in the Israeli media, the authors analyze the extent to which changes have both reflected and resulted from changing relations between the two countries.
Findings
The analysis reveals that before 2010, Turkey was depicted in largely positive geo-cultural terms, imagined as a desired cosmopolitan, culturally “authentic” destination, which elicits feelings of joy and peacefulness. More recent narratives, however, highlighted its negative geopolitical qualities, underscoring its anti-Israel stance and invoking a fearful discourse of political and ethno-religious radicalization.
Originality/value
The study makes three contributions. First, by attending to the significance of perceptions in the social construction of tourist destinations it brings the fields of tourism and cognitive geography into a closer dialogue. Second, by using a critical discourse analysis it highlights the changing cultural contexts within which places are imagined and constructed by tourists. Finally, by uncovering the geographic complexities that undergird the discursive construction of places as tourist destinations, it illustrates how everyday narratives change over time, reflecting the dynamic nature of inter-state relations.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The corresponding author would like to thank Professor Dalia Gavrieli-Nuri for her continuous support.
Citation
Shmuel, I. and Cohen, N. (2020), "The Geographical imagination of Israeli tourists to Turkey", International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, Vol. 14 No. 3, pp. 385-399. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCTHR-11-2019-0201
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited