Dracula’s image in tourism: Western bloggers versus tour guides

Authors

  • Maria Banyai Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1; phone: 1-519-888- 4567, ext. 33894, e-mail: mbanyai@uwaterloo.ca

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54055/ejtr.v3i1.42

Keywords:

destination image, literary tourism, authenticity, Dracula

Abstract

This study attempted to describe the different Western images related to Dracula tourism, and the role Bran Castle tour guides have in the image formation process. This is accomplished by analyzing the contents of Western tourists’ travel blogs, and of qualitative interviews elicited from Bran Castle tour guides. The qualitative content analysis resulted in seven themes focused on historical and fictional images of the destination. The results show that the majority of Western bloggers visit Bran in search for Count Dracula; however, the Bran Castle tour guides focus on presenting the historical truth. The findings are discussed in terms of their relevance to the destination image formation literature and the concept of authenticity.

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Published

2010-03-01

How to Cite

Banyai, M. (2010). Dracula’s image in tourism: Western bloggers versus tour guides. European Journal of Tourism Research, 3(1), 5–22. https://doi.org/10.54055/ejtr.v3i1.42