Promoting Tourism, Projecting Power: The Role of Television Commercials

ABSTRACT

This paper analyzes television commercials (TVCs) launched by Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) from 1999 to 2012. By repeating shots of traditional and Korean popular (k-pop) culture, high-tech machinery, and sportsmanship, it is fair to say that Korean tourism TVCs both reflected and fueled the fad a target audience has for Korea. Hence the commercials not only promoted tourism, they were also projecting national power in general and cultural power in particular. It is surmised that through power projection the TVCs intend to create a country halo effect so that the country’s products and services may enjoy an aspired added value.

KEYWORDS:

• Television commercials
• Orientalism
• destination image
• critical discourse analysis
• correspondence analysis

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Additional information

Funding

The work described in this paper was fully supported by a grant from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University [Project No. 1-ZE3J].

Notes on contributors

Steve Pan

Steve Pan, PhD, is Assistant Professor of School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechic University, 17 Science Museum Road, TST East, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR (E-mail: [email protected]).

Carla Santos

Carla Santos, PhD, is Associate Professor of Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism, College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 104 Huff Hall, 1206 S Fourth, M/C 584, Champaign, IL 61820, USA (E-mail: [email protected]).

Seongseop Kim

Seongseop Kim, PhD, is Associate Professor of School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechic University, 17 Science Museum Road, TST East, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR (E-mail: [email protected]).