The tourist image of Barcelona in audiovisual fiction. Catalanness, cosmopolitanism and Mediterraneanness versus Spanishness

Abstract

Many cities invest resources in attracting film shoots and influencing the content of audiovisual productions. There is a widespread idea that films boost the image of the locations where they are shot or set. This study compares the image of Barcelona currently promoted by official institutions, founded on certain attractions that symbolise Catalan identity, cosmopolitanism, and Mediterranean life, with the image of the city constructed by foreign films. The results show that both constructions highlight the same kinds of attractions. But when analysed in the context of audiovisual representation and narration, certain dissonances emerge, due to the prominence of clichés associated with a stereotypical image of Spain which can be traced back to 19th century Romanticism. The conclusions of this study may be useful for evaluating the potential of audiovisual fiction for constructing images of urban tourist destinations.