Challenges of Stereo-Typing Destination Image: An Autobiographical Narrative Approach to Address Flower-Power Hangover in Goa

Abstract

Tourism development is a potent force of socio-economic transformation particularly in the destinations and it often consequents to irreversible changes including the stereotyping of the image. At the level of image construction, while the destination managers play key roles and pursue experimentations with alternating propositions, there also exists many cases of revealing in nature about the instrumentalities of the ‘drifters’ or the pioneer tourists in the making and propagation of destination imageries. The influence of the carefree Hippies of 1960s’ in creating such imageries across the warmer world including in India has been such that even the destination managers had to exploit those imageries in both overt and covert manners so as to sustain the interest in the destinations. The authors make an attempt to examine the challenges of perpetuating the destination stereoptypes of Goa around the ‘flower-power’ of 1960’s through an autobiographical narrative approach. The results make a strong case for abandoning of the stereotypes and to adapt promotional strategies by bringing Goa’s innate strengths in its distinct nature and culture.

Keywords: Flower Power, Narrative Approach, Destination Image, Branding

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