Remodelling a changing language of tourism: from monologue to dialogue and trialogue

• Main Author: Graham M. S. Dann
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Instituto de Investigación Social y Turismo 2012-05-01
• Series: PASOS Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural
• Subjects: language of tourism; monologue; modernism; dialogue; trialogue; (re)modelling
• Online Access: http://www.pasosonline.org/Publicados/10412special/PS0412_07.pdf

When the “language of tourism” was initially articulated, tourism formed part of the modernist project, wherein its unilateral, monological discourse was framed within the parameters of social control. However, there is evidence today that it has now been transformed on account of the digitalised communication of the Internet. Indeed, there is currently a more egalitarian, postmodern ethos of dialogue, or even trialogue, between the key players of tourism: the industry, the tourist and the touree. Consequently, a new heuristic framework becomes necessary, one that reflects the changes that are rapidly occurring. With examples, a cell-by-cell approach is adopted in three constituent models which together illustrate a shifting paradigm in terms of the media that are now open to greater democratisation.