Spatial Phantasmagoria

Abstract

It is often argued that media culture involves a state of constant virtual mobility. Thus, it is important to discuss the relationship between media practices and touristic practices — in particular, whether the mediatization of tourism may signify an era of `post-tourism', or the `end of tourism'. In this article media consumption and touristic consumption are regarded as two contexts of spatial appropriation. Distinguishing three principal modes of spatial appropriation, it is argued that tourism and media consumption tend to follow a shared logic inherent to people's lifestyles. In extension, the `end of tourism' thesis is contested. Empirical evidence stresses that people uphold the distinction between simulations and `real experiences'. Rather than substituting physical travel, mediated spatial phantasmagoria reinforces the desire for `first-hand tourism'.