Understanding Travel Narratives

Highlighting the importance of travel narratives in understanding tourism imaginaries, Jennifer and Warwick Frost present global examples of the enduring stories that underpin the way we conceptualise and imagine travel.

Chapters explore the historical antecedent of travel narratives, discussing the long development of the concept that begins with oral storytelling, myths and legends and extends through to modern day media such as photographs, books, television, films and social media. With a strong focus on female travellers, they draw on a diverse collection of examples to investigate how travel narratives have changed over time and across different cultural backgrounds. The book assesses the influence of travel narratives on motivations to travel, expectations and the travel experience and in turn, considers how destinations may leverage these narratives to promote themselves and establish connections with potential markets.

Understanding Travel Narratives is an enlightening read for students and academics across disciplines, including tourism, geography, sociology, media studies, history and literature.