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Indigenous Identity In The Nation Brand: Tension And Inconsistency In A Nation's Tourism Advertising Campaigns, Alan Pomering

Alan Pomering

The purpose of this paper is to discuss one nation's attempts at tourism branding in which elements of Indigenous identity featured as a key element of the brand, arguably impairing persuasion results. The methodology follows a qualitative and interpretivist approach. A recent tourism advertising campaign for Australia is described; observations are made regarding Indigenous Australian identity in relation to the broader national identity; recent international tourist arrival trends are discussed; and connections between this triad are proposed. The campaign under study is also compared with proximate campaigns. The study raises questions about tapping a contested national identity for tourism branding …