“Geographies of the souvenir” study

Tourism experiences are the souvenirs of the 21st century

“Geographies of the souvenir” is the result of the 2014 Yvette Barbaza tourism research grant, an initiative launched by the Costa Brava Girona Tourist Board that aims to create an archive of Costa Brava souvenirs that can be shared on social media; the different types of souvenirs are analysed, their source placed on a map and added to a virtual exhibition that provides an added value to the Costa Brava. The study indicates that most people share photographs as souvenirs (88.89%); photos of attractions in the province of Girona are taken by visitors to Barcelona (41.69%), followed by visitors from the rest of Spain (16 17%), France (8.88%) and Germany (4.33%). These images are mostly souvenirs that provide evidence of an experience (86.91%) and only 13% are objects. The most significant of these souvenirs include photos of beaches and boats and some related to Dalí, Cadaqués, the Temps de Flors festival, the homes along the Onyar River in Girona and monuments and buildings of Girona’s old town, along with activities associated with sports and excursions in Estartit and Masella. Click here to see the “Geographies of the souvenir” study