Use and meaning of postcards in the digital age

Razglednice so že več kot 100 let pomemben medij komuniciranja v turizmu. Nekoč je bila njihova glavna vloga predvsem komunikacijska, v dobi digitalnih medijev pa se krepi vloga kulturnega rituala oz. vzdrževanja odnosov. V našem zaključnem delu smo v teoretičnem delu raziskali zgodovino in razvoj razglednic, vlogo, ki jo ima v odnosu med pošiljateljem in prejemnikom ter kulturni ritual, ki ga pošiljanje razglednic predstavlja. Predstavili smo razglednico kot medij in njihovo rabo v dobi digitalnih medijev ter pomen razglednic za turizem, predvsem podobo turistične destinacije. Namen naše raziskave je bil pojasniti, kakšen imamo odnos do razglednic v slovenskem kulturnem okolju in njihovo rabo v sodobnem času digitalnih medijev. V ta namen smo v prvem delu izvedli eksplorativno kvalitativno raziskavo s pomočjo fokusnih skupin, v drugem delu pa smo predpostavljene hipoteze preverjali z anketo, v kateri je sodelovalo 381 oseb. Ugotovili smo, da med respondenti raba razglednic v dobi digitalnih medijev sicer res upada, da sta se pa zato njihov simbolni pomen in vrednost precej zvišala. Več razglednic prejmejo in pošiljajo starejše generacije, medtem ko so med mlajšimi za deljenje turistične izkušnje bolj priljubljeni digitalni mediji, predvsem družbena omrežja. Pošiljanje razglednic pomeni v današnjem času pomemben kulturni ritual, ki ga je potrebno ceniti in ohranjati.Postcards have been an important medium of communication in tourism for more than 100 years. In the past their main role was communication, but in the age of digital media, their role of cultural ritual is strengthening or relationship maintenance gestures. Through our thesis, we researched the history and development of the postcard, the role it plays in the relationship between sender and recipient, and the cultural ritual that sending postcards represents. We presented the postcard as a medium and their use in the age of digital media and the importance of postcards for tourism, especially the image of a tourist destination. The purpose of our research was to explain the attitude towards postcards in Slovenian cultural context and their use in the modern age of digital media. For this purpose, in the first part we conducted exploratory qualitative research with the use of focus groups, and in the second part we tested the assumed hypotheses using a survey in which 381 people participated. We have found that the use of postcards in the digital age is indeed declining, that their symbolic meaning and value have increased considerably. More postcards are received and sent by the older generations, while digital media, especially social networks, are more popular among the younger ones to share the tourist experience. Sending postcards means an important cultural ritual today that needs to be appreciated and preserved