An examination of representations for USA in tourism brochures for Chinese market

This study exposed the complex nature of tourism representation and examined the photographic representations for U.S destinations in tourism promotion brochures published by National Tour Association, a U.S.-based trade association to have a tour operator program approved by the China National Tourism Administration. 537 pictures were collected from the brochures distributed to leisure travel professionals in China. The visual methodologies were employed. The results indicate almost the same top popular destinations have been represented more frequently in the selected brochures as those shown in the official report about the top U.S. destinations for Chinese tourists from the U.S. Department of Commerce. The major difference is the brochures focus more on the destinations featuring the natural landscapes rather than the destinations known for entertainment and exotic cultures. Meanwhile, the study results reveal that the most pictures in the studied brochures are about education. The most significant finding to the present study is the static status of representing a dynamic country. Such finding demonstrates how the mainstream culture in a society has been controlling the interpretation of its own society to others.