Fonte: Journal of Tourism & Development; v. 1, n. 17/18 (2012); 109-125
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Resumo: Tourism can be understood as a multidimensional social phenomenon where the travel books have a key role in the structuration of the tourist experience, working as mediators between the local identity and the representation of the touristic space. Using British travel books published in the 2nd half of the twentieth century as a source, this article analyses the representation of Portugal, focusing on the relationship between history and authenticity.Our research shows that the fixation on the past is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the representation of Portugal. Moreover, the travel books strive to develop an interpretation of reality that tends to make up the present in order to preserve its aesthetic function: this is, truly, the cult of the “very typical”.