Representations of Mediterranean Tourism in Italian and English Travel Blogs: A Comparative Ecolinguistic Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.60923/issn.1974-4382/23786Keywords:
ecolinguistics studies, eco-translation studies, critical discourse analysis, content analysis, Mediterranean tourism, travel blogsAbstract
The language used in travel and tourism blogs represents a relevant yet underexplored area of ecolinguistic research, as it offers insights into how individuals construct online identities (van Nuenen 2016, 2021) and represent environmental sustainability (Paganoni 2024). From an ecolinguistic perspective (Fill and Penz 2018; Stibbe 2015), and drawing on eco-translation – understood as an approach to linguistic and cultural mediation in relation to ecology and cultural sustainability (Cronin 2017; Hu 2020) – this study examines two mini-corpora of Italian and English travel blogs discussing tourism in Sicily as a Mediterranean destination (Ponton and Raimo 2024). Using a corpus-based methodology combined with Content Analysis (Stemler 2001; Braun and Clarke 2021) and Critical Discourse Analysis (Fairclough 2010), the research compares recurrent thematic patterns and discursive strategies across the two languages. The analysis reveals both convergences and divergences in English and Italian conceptualisations of environmental topics (Kefala 2021), showing that sustainability-related meanings are largely subordinated to aestheticised and consumable representations of place. In particular, beaches, food, and iconic landmarks are foregrounded, while biodiversity, conservation, and ecological responsibility remain marginal or absent. The findings underscore the need for greater critical awareness of tourism discourse and its role in shaping environmental attitudes (Ponton 2023), while highlighting the contribution of ecolinguistic and eco-translation approaches to fostering more responsible tourism practices.
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