Diagramming: A creative methodology for tourist studies

Abstract

Tourists experience a range of everyday practices that are subtle, momentary and mundane, which can be difficult to document. Finding documentation techniques that encourage hands-on and collaborative experiences can assist in gathering and producing a variety of perspectives from researchers and tourists. Using the Deleuzian concept of the ‘diagram’, this article examines how creative documentation methods can be used to explore everyday practices of tourists. From a creative arts and philosophical perspective, a diagram is a methodological tool that allows the tracing of relations through a range of techniques. Tracing the development of participatory artwork that uses a diagrammatic approach demonstrates how the experiences of both tourists and researchers can be fused. This encourages a wider perspective of how tourist practices are generated through interactive and affective registers. Diagramming is a creative methodological approach that can assist in tracing experiences and relationships that emerge in tourist studies.