Abstract
The article deals with a survey which has been carried out on a sample of 636 Hungarian students before their graduation in 1997. They were asked to complete a questionnaire about Italy. They had to draw on key-images of the country and find destinations on a blank map.
The choice of Italy depended both on the general interest of the Hungarian demand for the country and the concept of tourism as a crucial element in cultural exchange.
The students mainly relied on mass media information and on the attention to Italy in the educational system, whereas they were not influenced by family, milieu, and tourist promotion in the process of representation.
The results are indicative of the great influence of mental images on the real knowledge of a country before and after experiencing it by travelling. Furthermore they show how far tourist information is confused with general knowledge and customers' expectations are relevant in shaping tourism offer.
The choice of Italy depended both on the general interest of the Hungarian demand for the country and the concept of tourism as a crucial element in cultural exchange.
The students mainly relied on mass media information and on the attention to Italy in the educational system, whereas they were not influenced by family, milieu, and tourist promotion in the process of representation.
The results are indicative of the great influence of mental images on the real knowledge of a country before and after experiencing it by travelling. Furthermore they show how far tourist information is confused with general knowledge and customers' expectations are relevant in shaping tourism offer.
| Translated title of the contribution | Mental maps and tourism: the image of Italy among Hungarian students |
|---|---|
| Original language | Italian |
| Pages (from-to) | 17-32 |
| Number of pages | 16 |
| Journal | Turistica |
| Volume | 9 |
| Publication status | Published - 2000 |
| Externally published | Yes |