The Island on an Island

Can we recreate a holiday experience from the 1960s or 1990s in a world that changes so rapidly? This book argues that tourism is not merely a break from daily life but an ever-evolving current, an integral part of our culture and society that never remains fixed.

The Island on an Island: History, Media Construction and Uncertain Future of Costa Smeralda examines how northeast Sardinia-one of the most stunning areas in the world-became an artificial paradise, continually adapting to new scenarios in order to present tourists with the latest version of paradise they desire. The media system has played a pivotal role, actively shaping this construction; since the 1990s, media itself has become the very substance of what is communicated.

This process perfectly illustrates Jean Baudrillard's insight that the media create maps of reality which overlap the real territory, to the point where people no longer perceive actual reality but only its mediated versions. Over time, many layers-both literal and figurative-have been added to Costa Smeralda, obscuring the original land, which peasants and shepherds once sold cheaply to wealthy entrepreneurs. In tandem, media and tourism have always created the ideal environment for whoever happened to be in power.

Now that this trend is slowly coming to an end, no one knows which destination will become the next paradise. It is clear, however, that emerging forms of cultural, experiential, and sustainable tourism have little in common with today's Costa Smeralda-suggesting that its current model is in need of adjustment.