Negotiating “Istrian-ness” in tourist historiography: Observations on the discursive formation of a regional identity

Abstract

Identity and identities at the national and regional levels may be perceived as being in a constant state of flux. They are, however, primarily and continuously subject to negotiation. The narratives of history in tourist media provide space for this negotiation and facilitate mediation of discourses on identity conceptualisation. The present paper will thus investigate how the conceptualisations of regional identity in Istria are mediated through tourist historiography. In the introductory part, relations between identity formation and tourism will be discussed. The empirical part will then investigate tourist historiography from Istria and discourses on regional identity with specific emphasis on representational and narrative strategies used to mediate these discourses to a tourist audience.

Keywords

• tourism
• historiography
• identity discourses
• region
• Istria