The touring reader: Understanding the bibliophile's experience of literary tourism. (August 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: MacLeod, Nicola; Shelley, Jennifer; Morrison, Alastair M.
• Is Part Of: Tourism management. Volume 67(2018)
• Page Start: 388
• Page End: 398
• Publication Date: 2018-08
• Subjects: Literary tourism -- Readers -- Pilgrims -- Tourist experience -- Concretisation -- United Kingdom; Tourism -- Periodicals; 338.4791
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tourman.2018.02.006
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0261-5177

Abstract

Abstract: This research explores the literary enthusiast's experience of planning and undertaking literary inspired trips. The research reconceptualises the dominant figure of the literary pilgrim, inspired to visit sites associated with favourite authors, by using detailed results from 30 open-ended surveys distributed to delegates at a literary conference. The findings indicate that these keen readers prefer to plan their own trips and shun organised attractions and mainstream tourist information in favour of employing the texts themselves as source material. Respondents then feed back their experiences into the re-reading of the literary text. These findings are analysed using the concept of concretisation borrowed from literary theory. This concept, which has not been used in previous tourist studies, reflects the experience of these visitors who are using travel to solidify their reading of favourite books. This research therefore highlights the interdependence of texts and travels and emphasises the important role that imagination plays in the experience and recollection of tourist trips. Highlights: Offers a close examination of the literary enthusiast as tourist. Explores beyond the accepted figure of the literary pilgrim. Employs literary theory to explore touristic experience. Provides the first use of the concept of concretisation within the context of tourist studies. Highlights the close relationship between reading and touring.