Tourist photography of iconic interaction: Identity of symbolic representation of personal image in the destination

Abstract

The emergence of social networks, the widespread use of the smartphone, the pressure of immediacy, exaltation and the need to be represented and have symbolic significance in the eyes of others has given rise to a kind of tourist photography that is based on taking images of the tourist-protagonist interacting with a tourist icon which is famous for its symbolic representation, creating an image with a personal projection in the destination. This format has been called «Iconic Interaction Tourist Photography». This study focuses on the most popular icons in Europe in order to analyse the intentions and purposes that underlie this symbolic-picture practice. A qualitative-quantitative mixed methodology has been applied through icon content analysis and survey techniques. The results have contributed to enhancing our understanding of this behaviour in the symbolic representation of personal image in the destination from a sociological perspective, showing an overall trend towards this kind of interaction photography with certain representative tourist icons regardless of factors such as age or gender. The need to report a narrative symbolic holiday telling to the close social circle lies behind this photographic behaviour pattern.