Projected Destination Image Online: Website Content Analysis of Pictures and Text

This study analyzes how destination identity is projected through the use of photographic imagery and narratives in an online environment in the context of marketing a fast growing tourist destination such as Dubai. Twenty Dubai-based websites, covering various sectors of the industry, were content analyzed in terms of the photographic material and textual representations presented. Results confirm that there are, as expected, considerable discrepancies in the way the private and public players project Dubai’s identity. Private sector organizations, in particular hospitality and transport, are product oriented and projected images relate primarily to the specific facilities and tourist activities on offer. In contrast, the destination marketing organization focuses on the projection of cultural identity and heritage.