Collective memory and narrated destination image : interpreting the tour guides narratives in guided tours

Abstract

The study argues that the idea of collective memory (Kansteiner, 2002; Assmann, 1995;Confino, 1997) is perspective driven from the sociocultural and psychological literature (Heersmink, 2021; Pennebaker & Gonzales, 2009) which can possibly attempt to address the gap of foundational vagueness expressed in the destination image literature (Lai & Li, 2016; Li, Ali, & Kim, 2015; Tung & Ritchie, 2011). The foundational image vagueness refers to the lack of understanding and research in connecting the mental image (the cognitive perspective) with the destination image(s). Collective memory states that people collectively in a society construct their identity through socialization within a community but also from their individual perceptions of lived and interpreted cultural and historical events within their community (Lai & Li, 2016). Thus, it is an interesting idea/concept to be introduced into the tourism literature to address the issue of foundational vagueness. Cyprus is an excellent example to implement the idea of collective memory. Cyprus has had a rich and troublesome history (Farmaki, Altinay, Botterill, & Hilke, 2015; Papadakis et al., 2006). It has been conquered and inhabited by a variety of empires. Through a series of events and disputes between the islanders, Cyprus is currently temporarily divided/partitioned into two communities (Papadakis, 2008). The Turkish Cypriots who reside in the north and the Greek Cypriots who live in the south of the island (Farmaki, Antoniou, & Christou, 2019). Having said that, the two communities have their own version of what it means to be a Cypriot islander and different interpretations of how historical events have occurred on the island. The author explored three questions in order to answer the key research question on "How does collective memory influence the tour guides' narrated destination image?". Specifically the auhor examined (1) what stories the tourist guides in the north and in the south of Cyprus narrate during a single day of guided tours. Using narrative analysis as the method of interpretation (Earthy & Cronin, 2008; Gelter, Lexhagen, & Fuchs, 2021; Mura & Sharif, 2017), the author also discovered what lies beyond the narratives. (2) Who are the influencing agents that affect the narratives? (3) Where do the tour guides get their information?. To find out the answers to these questions the author interviewed the tourist guides following an unstructured process with a guided approach at the end of each single day guided tour. As part of the Tourism Destination Image (TDI) literature, this research is limited only on tourist guides and interpreting their narratives. Consequently, the study provides a stronger foundation because the destination image is facilitated from the tourist guide (the storyteller) to the tourist. Hence, by understanding how collective memory influences the narrated destination image (NDI) it strengthens the foundation of the general concept of destination image.