Heritage & Tourism, the 'bastion of Catalan identity'

Abstract

The present research aims to demonstrate in what ways official promotional material (video and website), as issued by the ACT and targeted at international tourists, shapes and reflects Catalan identity. The present work establishes similarities between the discourse of the ACT and that of a traditionally deemed Renaixença Catalanist discourse of the late 19th century. Nonetheless, differences are also noted within the corpus. Catalunya.com manifests a more mystical and medievalist discourse that is harmonious to mountainous cultural landscape, elements that correspond to traditional Catalanism. The discourse of La ruta de l’atzar reveals a trendy Catalonia that situates itself within a contemporary framework while it maintains ties with traditional Catalanism. Hence, the discourse produced by the ACT represents a Catalanist self-consciousness. This reflects on potential visitors that consume promotional material who in turn shape and reflect Catalan identity.