Marchandisation sans frontières : la construction discursive d’espaces touristiques transnationaux en France

Abstract

Tourism transforms places. This article aims to study this transformation by exploring the discursive construction of two urban destinations in France: Marseille and Metz. Drawing upon an analysis of documents published by the Tourist Offices of the two cities, the article explores the discursive strategies used in their promotion and positioning as tourist destinations. First, it is shown how these strategies frame the cities as integral parts of two transnational spaces: Marseille in the Mediterranean and Metz in an inherently European cross-border space. Second, a form of “commodification without borders” is highlighted, whereby the two cities exploit their links with their neighbours in a bid to increase their desirability. Finally, it is shown how these discursive strategies contribute to tourist imaginaries, shape the perceptions of the places involved and thus play a role in producing two transnational spaces.

Keywords

• Commodification
• discours du tourisme
• France
• imaginaire géographique
• imaginaire touristique