Destination Services: Tourist media and networked places

Tourism exists in the interplay between places and stories. In making sense of travel, we are also making sense of ourselves and the world around us. Indeed, the global tourist industry produces places as “destinations” through stories and souvenirs. The audience for tourism stories has changed greatly with changes in technologies of communication and representation, with one of the most radical changes the introduction of networked media. With the rise of web-based services, tourist experiences have acquired a digital penumbra of content available in ever more formats and locations. This paper examines these technological changes, and the potential consequences for digital storytelling, travel, and the production of destinations