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Abstract
The study adopted a qualitative approach to investigate the role of postcards in representing a destination image as evidence for their travel. A total of 15 postcard racks in Alanya, Turkey were sampled in a variety of sales outlets, using an observation and content photography techniques. The postcards were sorted into four groups according to their levels of authenticity and contextual representation of the tourist's experience at the destination. The analysis yielded a conceptual framework of four types of postcards: realistic, refurbished reality, misleading, and fantasy. The study concluded that only a small proportion of the postcards represented authentic and true images of Alanya, while the majority of the postcards provided ambiguous, unclear, and confusing images of the destination. Recommendations for developing more realistic images to be featured on postcards are discussed.