Reworking colonial imaginaries in post-colonial tourist enclaves

Abstract

This article critically explores the complex politics of reworking colonial imaginaries in post-colonial tourist enclaves. It examines the persistence of colonial spaces and representations in the tourist industry along with the reproduction of boundaries that sustain distinctions between people. Based on research in Mauritius, this article identifies the distinctive characteristics of generic tropical, luxury hotel resorts and the specific strategies used to distinguish them as they compete to attract tourists. Through an investigation of a luxury hotel in Mauritius, designed to evoke the theme of the colonial sugar plantation, it is suggested here that these strategies rework and reproduce colonial representations in the present day.