The Perception of Nature in Travel Promotion Texts ─ A Corpus-Based Discourse Analysis

Given the consolidated effects of the greening process on the tourism industry, this volume investigates the relationship between three areas of research - the natural environment, tourism and discourse - and how this relationship is affected by and affects society as a whole. In particular, the book highlights the central role of language in constructing eco-friendly tourist sites. Since the images associated to nature are various, this study examines the uses of nature and explores how the terms natureand natural are constructed within the texts. The research identifies how nature is linguistically defined and constructed by advertisers in travel promotion texts in order to attract potential 'green' tourists. The study also analyses the promotion of protected areas to verify the extent to which these areas meet the criteria on sustainable tourism set by the World Tourism Organization. By adopting a corpus-based discourse analysis perspective which combines both qualitative and quantitative approaches,the book unravels the complex interrelationship between the environment, tourism and advertising.

Ida Ruffolo is a Researcher in English Language and Linguistics at the University of Calabria, Italy, where she teaches EAP and ESP. She holds a PhD in Language analysis and interdisciplinary studies from the University of Calabria and an MA in ELT from the University of Reading (UK). Her main research interests are Corpus Linguistics, Discourse Analysis, and ESP, with particular interest in the language of tourism.