1 Introduction

This study critically approaches the problem of island marketing, based mainly on the assumptions that tend to dominate the representations of potential mainland and urban tourists. Marketing in this way strategically aimed at exploring and deepening the motivations of these customers and their expectations in relation to the desired tourist destinations in which they play the anthropological and epistemological connections conflictual between the beliefs implicit in the representations of insularity and islandness.

This refutes any simplistic approach that intends, for example, to generalize the desired effects of insularity based on stereotypes, as often happens in insular tourism marketing by making abstract but credible, within a propounded exoticism, a supposed happiness and quietness of tropical islands.

But what are then the values and benefits that gain the most impact on the motivation of island tourists?

Several of them are common to all potential destinations such as safety, the friendliness of the host community and the quality of services, although they may have special features when it comes to islands.

Let us highlight the following, all of them in the context of a utopian vision marked by the beauty and happiness that the island context gives rise to:

  • The unavoidable presence of the sea and beaches as propitiators of leisure and well-being;

  • The uniqueness of the islanders in the perspective of constituting cohesive communities and provided with authenticity given their ancestral isolation;

  • The expectations of adventure in unknown spaces;

  • Emotional involvement through the enjoyment of personal spontaneity and freedom of initiative;

  • Contact with a preserved nature.

For most of these small island outcrops, tourism is the most important economic resource. The promotion of these destinations focuses on the ideas of paradise and radical alternative to the routine of everyday life that feed the “island desire”, conceived as a heterotopia.

2 Literature review

The notion of islandness emerges as an ideal archetype that is integrated into island symbolism, but which varies according to civilizations, regions, and even individuals. It seems certain that such an archetype is not common to those who dream of islands and to those who live on them, a decisive aspect when we talk about tourism and especially tourism marketing as well as hospitality on the part of indigenous populations. Nicolini and Perrin (2020) emphasise that the intersections between law, geographical studies, political power and the humanities inherent to the idea of insularity “reflect various issues, such as territorial localisation, environmental crises, colonial imaginaries, as well as the insular societal contexts in which they are imbricated”. (p. 209).

The concept of “iléité” (here translated as “islandness”), created by Moles (1982) in the context of his proposal of nissonology as a “science of the islands”, points out that, besides admitting the existence of a “scale of ileity” established according to the size of the island considered, it is always important to consider psychological aspects such as the vision, feelings, affections and representations that islanders themselves have of their island.

Abraham Moles’ contribution through the concept of iléité offers a multidimensional approach to understanding islands. Nissonology, from the Greek “nisos” for island, seeks to establish a comprehensive science dedicated to the study of islands, combining physical geography with human geography, psychology, and cultural studies. The scale of iléité acknowledges the diversity among islands in terms of size but also underscores the importance of the subjective experiences of islanders—their visions, feelings, affections, and representations of their island.

These aspects, besides the individual profiles themselves, differ from one island to another according to its geographical position, its culture and its history, that is, as defined by Brunet (1992) in the critical dictionary Les Mots de la Géographie, while ileality, as “the islands’ own way of existence”, contributes to the affirmation of “island identity”.

Ma. G.(2020), an anthropologist, has also delved into the concept of “nissology,” the study of islands on their own terms. McCall’s work emphasises the importance of considering islands’ geographical and cultural uniqueness in global discussions. In his work “Islands and the world from an anthropological perspective”.

The paper “Islands and the World from an Anthropological Perspective” by Ma. G., published in 2020, explores the complex interactions between islands and global processes through anthropological lens. It delves into the historical significance of islands in human society, their role in cultural exchanges, and the impact of globalization on island communities. The study emphasizes the interconnectedness of islands with continental cultures and global networks, challenging the traditional view of islands as isolated entities. It also highlights the importance of understanding island societies in the context of global-local dynamics, offering insights into the diverse and dynamic nature of island life in the face of modernization and global integration.

A leading author in island studies, Baldacchino (2006) has extensively explored the socio-economic and political dimensions of islands, focusing on their unique challenges and opportunities. His work on small island developing states (SIDS) and remote island communities contributes to understanding the complex identity dynamics and resilience of island societies.

According to Baldacchino (2006), the field of island studies encompasses the exploration of “islandness” and its effects across a spectrum of areas including environmental science, human dynamics, socio-economic structures, cultural practices, tourism, and development. This approach integrates a wide range of topics relevant to both the natural and social sciences, as well as the humanities, fostering a multidisciplinary and holistic perspective on island research.

The geographical position, culture, and history of an island play crucial roles in shaping its ileity. Islands can vary greatly in terms of their environmental conditions, resources, and accessibility, which in turn influence their economic activities, social relations, and historical development. The concept of iléité recognizes that each island’s unique set of circumstances contributes to the formation of a specific island identity, as highlighted by Brunet in “Les Mots de la Géographie” (1992).

Taglioni (2011) proposes a typology comprising three categories of insularity: Hypo-insularity, hyper-insularity and insularity. The first is defined as “the continentalisation of the insular phenomenon under the effects of the integration and assimilation of an insular territory by a continental mother country”, as will be the case of Martinique. Hyper-insularity, in turn, which could be called “double insularity”, identifies islands such as Tristan da Cunha, which are outside the usual routes for people and goods, both maritime and air, which structure the global space and which therefore become peripheral. Islands, which are merely “insular”, in an intermediate situation, we have islands such as Trinidad and Mauritius, which depend above all on their political, economic and regional context.

Many studies thus value positions of synthesis in which insularity appears as the product of a dynamic relationship between the physical and geographical space of an island and the society that inhabits it. The sociological, political, demographic and economic dimensions appear as human constructions conditioned, but not determined, by the size and isolation of the islands (cf. Bonnemaison 1990; Bouchard et al. 2011).

The psychological aspects of iléité reflect how the identity of islanders and their communities are intricately connected to their geographical isolation. This isolation can foster unique cultural identities, traditions, and social structures. The concept suggests that the experience of living on an island inherently affects its inhabitants’ worldview and lifestyle, contributing to a distinctive “way of existence.”

It should be noted that tourism marketing for small islands often identifies these islands as “paradises” due to their supposed tranquillity, well-being and authenticity. At the same time, critical approaches of an epistemological nature warn against the stereotypical nature of this paradisiacal image of insularity which, oblivious to the objective realities and feelings of the island peoples themselves, often takes up neo-colonialist visions in which their supposed quietness and even their supposed naivety contrast with the bustle and aggression inherent in urban life. (cf. Gillis, 2007; Grydehoj 2020; Nimführ 2021; Graham and Campbell 2021; Weatherill 2023).

Stratford’s (2008) research in geography and island studies often focuses on the spatial, environmental, and place-based identities of islands, examining how these factors influence the social and cultural life of island communities.

The concept of iléité has significant implications for the field of island studies (nissonology). It encourages a holistic approach to the study of islands, one that goes beyond physical characteristics to include the psychological and cultural dimensions of island life. This perspective can enrich our understanding of island communities, addressing challenges such as environmental sustainability, economic development, and cultural preservation within the context of globalization.

3 Methodology

Since this is a strongly hermeneutic and phenomenological approach, there emerges here openness to the plurality and complexity of interpretations and intentionalities from which problematising concerns about explicit and implicit promotional practices arise, based on the following methodological procedures:

  • The hermeneutics of conflict as a plural reading of texts, which recognises the finitude of each singular interpretation as it is always rooted, within the scope of its internal coherence, in a limited appropriation of meaning that is inherent to a given perspective that cannot claim, ideologically, to annul all others. The conflict, outside of any hermeneutic narcissism, is thus considered, as Ricoeur (1969) defended it, inherent to the interpretations which, in one way or another, have to consider those which oppose them even though they may transitorily suspend their importance and the unavoidable polysemy of the symbols;

  • The conjugation of objective realities with phenomenological and hermeneutic readings, valuing the subjective dimension of the former but intersecting their self-sufficiency and autocracy with the critical approach of the latter as they refuse the immediacy of access to the truth supposedly contained in the subject;

  • The problematization as methodology of a scientific reason open to philosophical questioning: valorization of the role of the “event” according to Derrida and Foucault (1984) and of the “adventure”, according to Simmel (2002), and of the problematic as a modality of meaning through the articulation of the senses - subjective and objective - and of the emerging problematic with the forms adopted by tourism promotion, aspects opportunely considered;

  • The recognition of “axiological rationality” as a manifestation of cognitive rationality in the ethical-practical domain, in accordance with the proposals of Boudon (1999) previously addressed, in all that this means the assumption of the presence and interference of values in the choices and motivations of tourists when they choose small islands as a tourist destination;

In the analysis of concrete cases of promotion of small islands as tourist destinations were used advertising materials provided by agencies and other tourism promoters, as well as by official bodies, in virtual support and in paper, in the form of catalogues and posters, websites or simple promotional messages. Thus, the “induced agents” are privileged, according to the terminology used by Camprubi, Guia and Comas (2009) in the production of tourist images as “induced images”, as “emitted images” in whose composition intervene, as we have seen, a cognitive-perceptive component and another affective one. In addition, we will be particularly attentive to the constraints introduced by the “universal images” as “archetypes of the collective imagination”.

In this conceptual and operational context, the following variables were considered:

  • Images: highlighted aspects and graphic resources mobilised; explicit and implicit motivations. Photographs as evidence of concrete or imaginary realities of the texts.

  • Written messages: content and rhetorical resources; explicit and implicit motivations.

  • In both cases, denotative and connotative elements of meaning and respective intertextualities;

  • Identification of partially exposed or hidden aspects of the respective realities, beyond the contents effectively provided.

4 Theoretical background and conceptual framework

In theoretical and conceptual terms, we highlight the following critical assumptions that structured the grid of reading the situations, facts and perspectives of agents and tourism promoters:

  • Boundaries as lines which, precisely due to their liminal nature, are contradictory lines of barring and passage, thus feeding hybrid feelings of curiosity and apprehension often promoted, directed and controlled by advertising and the organisation of tourism activities;

  • Vulnerability as a characteristic of communities and their natural surroundings in correlation with the contingency of the subjects in the relational contexts in which they act as aspects to be considered both by visitors and host communities;

  • The crisis of structuralisms and ontologies of the subject and their overcoming through the valorisation of the importance of critical conceptualisation within the scope of tourism research, namely that which refers to small islands where the marginalisation of the internal contradictions of the concepts used implies deviations in terms of the overall sustainability of tourism activity itself;

  • The “induced images” (produced by marketing), the “universal images” (archetypes of the imaginary arising from history) and the “ephemeral images” (emerging from news) as variants of the “issued tourist images” in their correlation with the “inductive agents” (authors of the induced images), the “autonomous agents” (authors of reports, films, etc.) and the “organic agents” (testimonials), all according to the terminology of Camprubi, Guia and Comas;

  • Marc Augé’s (2009) notions of “anthropological place” and “non-place”, insofar as they refer to questions of the meaning of places erected as tourist destinations, namely the small islands;

  • The reading of the islands as a tourist destination expressed in the concept of ileity by anthropological and experiential intersection of the strictly geographical concept of insularity;

  • The motivating potential of utopias and heterotopias in the relationship between the real, the imaginary, the impossible and the possible in the search for the human, namely in paradisiacal references of a given purity or, again, of an intended authenticity.

5 Findings

Among several other possible examples, we begin by highlighting some of the topics of an expressive leaflet that highlights and illustrates the tone with which small islands are generally treated advertising as tourist destinations of choice. “Idyllic Islands” is the name of a tourist promotion catalogue of the tour operator Solférias. Inside it we see a wide range of options in terms of islands always wrapped, in terms of images and texts, in enchanting messages that awaken in its core the “desire for islands” (Péron 1993), in everything that this may have in relation to other types of destinations, but also clearly by what it reveals as unique. The diversity of supply of island destinations is combined with the uniformity of its characterization, which ends up showing the extensive application of a uniform model of marketing that sidelines and even hides the diversity and complexity of local realities.

We transcribe some enlightening passages, which are accompanied by images that reproduce and offer some of the great island stereotypes, ranging from the colours in which blue and green predominate in conjunction with elements such as the sea, the white sand cut by the omnipresence of water, the thatched roofs and the coconut or palm trees, also safeguarding the signs of comfort and relaxation that lend the touch - and security - of the tourist treatment of the place:

(…) There are still paradises on Planet Earth, and it is these places that we bring you in this brochure. (…) They are small great paradises to discover as a couple, with family or with friends.

Kuredu. “Explore. Dream. Discover. Meet the needs of your senses. Enjoy the company of those you love most in an idyllic setting. (…) Your dreams will come true”;

Meeru. “A tropical paradise of verdant palm trees, white sandy beaches, warm and crystalline waters”;

Vilamendhoo. “Only 900 metres long, this island surrounded by a fantastic reef quite close to the beach, is ideal for snorkeling. Enter this world of ours, where clockwork does not enter. Let your stress and tiredness take a back seat. Let yourself be enveloped by an unparalleled sense of calm and serenity”.

The presence of several of the epistemological references identified and synthesised above is evident in this brochure, which, with different expressions and relative dimensions, also appear in the examples we have selected for this chapter. This happens for instance between the “induced images” that one can find in the phrases and in the engraving and the implicit “universal images” that lend credence to them. Namely, the image of “tropical paradise” with the engraving mental image is reinforced with the strength that somehow a “shelter” assumes in one’s first thought. Curiously, the supposed exotic reality of the beach that can be glimpsed in the background, with some tourists’ constructions in the same line, is reinforced by the artificial and seductive comfort offered by the before-mentioned shelter, which is also tropical in nature. The cognitive-perceptive and affective components of the image are thus combined. It offers a flagrant and enticing contrast between the well-being provided by the isolation and peacefulness of the islands and the tiring life that the potential visitor is supposed to lead. The full enjoyment of the pleasure of the senses is also offered, that is, a certain sensuality to be discovered in a place. In a reality that is contradictorily dreamed of and that becomes flagrantly accessible because it is located beyond a limit that ends up seeming to be surpassable or overcome.

As Smith and Diekmann (2017; p. 4) tell us, referring to Heathwood, “tourism is largely a business aimed at the fulfilment of idealised desires”.

They point out, in this same framework, that the use of artifices with a strong persuasive slant is, in essence, an anticipated response to the resilience of the reader or, perhaps better, of the readers as each of them, without prejudice to common traits in the representations they make, will also certainly affirm some distinct and even conflicting angles of vision among themselves. The image offered, despite its relative abstraction, assumes a function that, being seductive, intends to impose itself as reality on the unconscious subjective plane of potential consumers, a universe shaped by the aforementioned universal images.

The islands emerge as “anthropological places” with a strong sense of identity as they are strongholds of a humanity considered to be of the matrix but lost in the materialistic hubbub of our societies. The hospitable quietness contained in the metaphors of the words of which the image is, after all, a projection reveals this very thing, that is, in this case, the welcoming of the other and the gift of that which, being theirs, may be shared, fulfilling, almost from the most elementary level of Maslow’s pyramid, “the needs of their senses”, Maslow (1943).

On 15.05.23, on the website of the Tuvalu Department of Tourism 2023 (TimelessTuvalu - Welcome to the Official Tourism Website for island nation of Tuvalu), highlighting the value of authenticity in a nation that, with almost no cars and few tourist facilities, lives under the threat of being submerged in the short term as a result of rising sea waters, one could read:

Welcome to Timeless Tuvalu. Our Paradise is waiting. As one of the smallest and most remote nations in the world, this unspoiled corner of the Pacific offers a peaceful and non-commercialized environment that is ideal for rest and relaxation. The spectacular marine environment consisting of a vast expanse of ocean interspersed with atolls, magnificent lagoons, coral reefs and small islands all provide a unique South Seas ambiance.

The use of the expression “Timeless Tuvalu” stands out, in conjunction with the ideas that it is a tiny, remote and untouched stop in the middle of the vastness of the mythical South Seas that maintains, in its isolation, the uniqueness of its culture, its social organisation and its legends.

Curiously, the Tuvalu traveller’s guide presents the typical attractions of Tuvalu, shared by the other islands of the region, while referring as an addition to its underdevelopment that contributes to the unexplored character of its resources and, to a certain extent, to the maintenance of an authenticity that may interest a significant band of tourists. The visitor knows he will have to rely on improvisation as far as food and even lodging are concerned, implicitly suggesting a certain sharing in terms of the precariousness of resources and experiencing the vulnerability of local populations not so much out of solidarity, but above all by the attractiveness of an unusual experience. Poverty thus appears as the factor that sustains the authenticity of a people lost in its isolation and further weakened by the threat of living an ephemeral insularity. It is important to bear in mind that small islands are more susceptible to poverty due to the scarcity of their resources and, therefore, their exposure to adversity.

Here is a passage from the Tuvalu tourist guide:

Tuvalu, the world’s second-smallest country and, according to the United Nations, one of the least developed, fulfils the classic image of a South Sea paradise. Visitors come to the islands to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere and palm-fringed beaches. Pandanus, papaya, banana, breadfruit and coconut palms are typical. Traditional buildings with thatched roofs can be seen virtually everywhere on the islands. (…) There are no shops whatsoever in Funafala, so visitors should take their own provisions.

(in Tuvalu Travel Guide and Travel Information - World Travel Guide www.worldtravelguide.net Destinations› Oceania, 2.01.2017)

Looking at the reality of Tuvalu, we can see that the group of small islands and atolls that make it up are no higher than 7 m, facing the ever-present dramatic threat of rising sea waters and their consequent disappearance. This, despite being considered the least polluting country in the world. Meanwhile, a quarter of the population lives below the poverty line.

This is clearly an advertisement that mobilises “induced images” and “universal images”, concealing reality or promoting it as a piece of a black tourism or based, alongside exoticism, on the curiosity for poverty associated with primitivism and the idea that the partnership of both gives rise to the authenticity of a lost humanity that is worth knowing and even experiencing as a value.

For its part, in 2014, The Official Website of the Grenada Tourism Authority (in www.grenadagrenadines.com, 2.01.2017), thus describes the enticements of the experience of a visit to this small island nation:

Discover Pure Grenada.

Welcome to the Spice of the Caribbean; a place where untouched beauty meets our warm people content with a simple way of life. Grenada offers a lifestyle so pure and authentic that you feel instantly renewed. Our enchanting islands boasts silky stretches of white sand beaches, sunken treasures adorned by corals and unspoilt landscapes undiscovered by crowds. So, take a journey like never before; a journey that is pure and real. Welcome to Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique!.

Or even:

Pure Romance. It is said that love begins in Grenada and with its peaceful locales and captivating beauty, the island sets the tone for couples hoping to be undisturbed.

In 2023, under the title Grenada Digital Nomad Visa - Citizen Remote, Grenada (in https://citizenremote.com), adapting itself to the wishes of the new qualified migrants, extends the allure of its paradisiacal offer:

Grenada is a paradise for those looking for a taste of Old Caribbean culture. Formed by volcanic activity thousands of years ago, Granada is now blooming with breathtaking landscapes. This Caribbean island is a paradise home to over 100,000 island dwellers in the south of the Caribbean Sea. The island is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, offering diverse flora and fauna selections. The country has also found fame for its varied selection of spices, coffees, and cocoa beans. Grenada is quickly becoming a favourite destination among many digital nomads and for a good reason! This stunning country has a lot to offer for all of its visitors.

The refuge so often sought by couples in love and now also by remote workers saturated by urban hustle and bustle and the stress of their responsibilities is thus expressly offered by an island which, precisely because of its isolation and lifestyle, guarantees that, in a context of singular well-being, neither one nor the other will be disturbed.

The authenticity of the way of life based on the singular purity of human warmth of a people who preserve this value by living happily with the simplicity of this life is reinforced by the surroundings of its natural environment, splendid and equally pure. The beauty of this environment ends up merging with the beauty of love, thus creating an authentic paradise promised to that love. This reinforces the induced tourist image that is created, as the following passages demonstrate:

Pure Nature. Whether it’s the striking splendor of the gardens or the cascading beauty of the waterfalls, a vacation in Grenada is nothing short of enchanting.

Pure Smiles. Adjust your body to island time and allow the pure warmth and laidback lifestyle of the Grenadian people to add that extra magic to your vacation.

From the analysis, one can notice the persuasive appeal of some messages such as “adjust your body to island time” so that, detached from the urban rhythm, the tourist, adhering to the lifestyle of the Granada’s community and the charm of nature, relaxes and lets himself be infected by the local magic.

In the website Grenada - Sandals, www.sandals.com (08.01.17), one can read:

The islands are our home. Come share them with us. Grenada the spice island. Explore the natural splendor of an exotic, unspoiled hideaway. Grenada’s volcanic origin has created a landscape of great beauty and variety, the perfect backdrop for a romantic getaway.

Once again, the idea of the island as a matrix land that, through the tourist experience, we can access and where, as a refuge and perhaps because of this, love can be experienced.

Its volcanic character, while providing a singular natural beauty, also gives the island a strong insularity in the midst of the vastness of the ocean, an aspect that the photograph reinforces.

Grenada appears as a vision of adventure, freedom and shared affections, following the path of an island which, it is suggested, leads to another… As Deleuze (2002) said, “the island is what the sea surrounds and where we take a turn, it’s like an egg”.

The promotional texts and images of Fiji that we reproduce here highlight those that are noted as some of the most important and, in principle, captivating appeals - and stereotypes - that the islands present to their potential visitors: location somewhere in the heart of the (Pacific) ocean, tropicality, hospitality of the indigenous people, paradisiacal character, love, isolation, tranquillity, intensity of natural colours, dreamy beaches and authenticity. These appeals and stereotypes are given a very special prominence not only by the choice of key words but also by the graphic relief given to them.

Located in the heart of the South Pacific, Fiji is blessed with 333 tropical islands that are home to some of the happiest people on Earth.

Known for its luxurious private-islands, all-inclusive resorts, top spas, culinary destinations and outdoor adventures, Fiji is most widely celebrated for its culture, which uniquely welcomes visitors home.

Fiji’s white sand beaches and pristine, crystal-clear ocean waters offer an ideal vacation destination for divers, honeymooners and families– or simply, those looking to relax and get away from it all. (…)

(in the official website of Tourism Fiji, www.fiji.travel/)

It is possible to stay here “lost”, on an exclusive island paradise, in a hut on the fine sand, with champagne and filled with flower petals, overlooking the crystal clear sea…. all in the name of love.

The sea is the great protagonist of the Fiji archipelago, bathed by the South Pacific, in the “backyard” of Australia and New Zealand, a perfect place for a trip for two. Plenty of sunshine and deserted beaches surrounded by a “garden” of coral and a turquoise sea complete the romantic scenario.

The wonderful climate, the beaches and the stunning landscape invite us to get to know this magnificent archipelago of rock and reef formation. The tranquillity, the beaches with their transparent waters and the magnificent natural wealth are marvellous, beautiful, enchanting.

The Fiji archipelago is located in the South Pacific, about three thousand kilometres east of Australia and 1930 km south of the equator. Situated in the centre of the Pacific Ocean, Fiji is the first country in the world where a new day begins. It is 230,000 square kilometres of paradise. The archipelago is made up of 322 islands, but only 105 are inhabited. Besides all the natural beauty, the population is a mixture of ancient local people with European and oriental influences. It is not by chance that all this human exotic part ended up creating 15 words just to define “paradise”.

This wonderful place is protected from mass tourism because of the 700,000 Fijians who consider their land sacred, which cannot be sold to foreigners. So the hotels are small and elegant, with few rooms and many local cottages known as bourgeois.

(in “THE NEXT TRAVEL: Fiji Islands…Love and a cottage!“

www.aproximaviagem.pt/n12/09_ilhasFiji.html)

Kanemasu (2013) studied the phenomenon of attractiveness of the Fiji islands in order to understand how the tourist imaginary that made them a pole of attraction was constructed. For this purpose, she used postcolonial, feminist and gender, semiotic and management and marketing studies developed since the 1990s, which provided a socially integrated view of that imaginary. Thus, she claims that the images of destiny and specifically of othering contained therein are deeply imbued with a patriarchal and colonial representation - therefore marked by a power relationship - of the respective peoples and communities inherited from the historical period of their occupation by Europeans. This is why the inhabitants of these islands are described by the local entities themselves in their promotion policies as “smiling, friendly, welcoming people” and even as “the world’s friendliest people” (pp. 457, 458), a representation that refers to the idea of the “good savage” nurtured by Western philosophical and religious traditions in search of an authenticity built in an earthly paradise. This idea progressively replaced the initial images of ignoble savages - of “cannibals” - as the local populations were subjugated and homogenised by the domination they exercised.

The aspects connected to an alleged primitive savagery ended up being used in folkloric manifestations, namely in the form of war dances, which, by providing spectacles historically marked by a primitivism outdated as an effective practice, but present as memory and tradition, besides providing contacts with experiences considered exotic, they also ensured their overcoming and therefore the tourists’ tranquillity. In addition, the people, having seen the economic and social advantages of tourism, were induced by the Fijian media themselves to accommodate the expectations of the visitors. It was against this background that, on 28 October 1994, the following passage appeared in the editorial “Looking Closely at Tourism” in The Fiji Times (cit. idem, p. 474):

We have an edge over many…competitors because of our special culture and lifestyle. This give us the identity of a friendly, smiling group of people. We should capitalize on this smile as an important selling point… Fiji, the Way the World Should Be – that slogan we used to be proud of can still be very much relevant here. But it is really up to every one of us to play their part, collectively or individually.

Still on the subject of islands and the mobilisation - and construction - of their allure, we have chosen the following appeals that the Canadian island of Prince Edward displays on attractive posters, notably at Montreal airport, with each image corresponding to a slogan:

  • “C’est bien partir quand on y ajoute une île”;

  • “Flavours come alive when you add a little island”;

  • “Les souvenirs vivent plus longtemps quand on y ajoute une petite île”;

  • “Les aventures abondent quand on ajoute une petite île”.

On the “Tourism Prince Edward” website, an island of 5 620 Km2, the largest of an archipelago of over 200 islands, situated off the coast of Nova Scotia, it states:

Whether it’s a day at the beach, an evening at the theatre, or the best seafood you’ve ever tasted, the memories you make last longer on Prince Edward Island. It’s an Island filled with fun and unique adventures. No matter what experience you’re searching for, it’s easy to find when you add a little island.

These are messages which, repeating the “small island” factor as an attractive reason, combine in their diversity the scope of an expressive unit: a reduced space isolated by the sea invites intimacy, playful and sensual pleasure. In fact, it should be pointed out, however, that this is an island already of considerable size, among the hundred largest in the world….

At the same time, a relationship of proximity is established, somewhat contradictorily, between the departure and the arrival in order to overcome the doubts and hesitations that normally accompany the period of preparation of the trip and the concretization of the departure, for the simple reason that it is an island. To this end, the advantages offered by the speed of contemporary means of transport are mobilised while at the same time the isolation of the island is exalted and, because it is an island, it remains in the cultural and psychological archetypes of the tourist. An island that, however, offers the flavours and the persistence of good memories which, it is promised, will prolong the experiences reached, even by the perspective of the “abundance of adventures”, which, it is assured, will correspond to any of the experiences that may constitute the motivation for departure. In other words, the tourist knows in advance that there will be a correspondence between the expectations created, the experience lived and the memory that will be kept. It is the island as a utopia that is renewed in order to combine the emotion of the journey with the pleasure of tourism within a stimulating - although im/possible - im/predictability.

6 Conclusions and implications

Our study critically reevaluates the strategies employed in island marketing, advocating for a paradigm shift that transcends conventional paradisiacal imagery to acknowledge the profound, multifaceted allure of islands. Drawing upon the concepts of “iléité” and the insights from island studies scholars, we underscore the significance of incorporating anthropological and epistemological perspectives into marketing narratives. This approach reveals a richer, more authentic representation of islands, highlighting the unique interplay between the natural environment, cultural heritage, and the personal experiences of both islanders and visitors. The findings suggest that tourists are increasingly motivated by desires for authentic encounters, sustainability, and deeper emotional connections with destinations, challenging marketers to refine their strategies accordingly. Some of the conclusions are:

  • Decline in the importance of the double “here-now” and the emergence of ubiquity by imposition of the prevalence of communication technologies according to Michel Serres and of a “topological space without distance”, according to Virilio (2000), which becomes evident in the game between induced images and the offer of islands as heterotopias;

  • Equivocity the notion of authenticity, often invoked with a generalist and ambiguous character to hide or conceal the reality that is intended to be promoted as a destination and that, in any case, cannot without more, be associated to the idea of primitivism and stagnation in time that the conceptions of isolation associated to small islands feed;

  • The importance of interculturality according to the perspective of the relational anthropology of Jacques (1982) in what it implies in ethical terms by overvaluing people as protagonists of cultural diversity, as well as all that, from here on, is common to them;

  • If, for the mainlander, to reach an idealized island, one must first of all cross the sea which, as a springboard for a dreamed voyage, appears as a promise of freedom, for islanders, without prejudice to their umbilical relationship with them, these are often experienced as vulnerable clods of their fragility that they only share to the extent of their strict interests.

  • It is up to those responsible for island marketing to base their communicational creativity on the data that anthropological and epistemological reflections make available to them.

By applying some of the tools of the case study methodology in order to clarify concepts and deconstruct the misconceptions inherent to a set of communication assumptions that exploit common-sense notions and values, combined with the selection and analysis of slogans and other advertising tools used in the promotion of island destinations addressed to potential consumers from our cultural and social universe, the aim was to contribute, in a way that is both hermeneutic and epistemological, to a more rigorous understanding of marketing strategies and the choices made by consumers themselves. This approach is important for three different but complementary reasons:

  • Social and human sciences such as sociology, psychology and social and cultural anthropology have abandoned the assumption that there are populations whose behaviour and axiological references are independent of historical and ideological constraints that would subject them to an implicit and endemic civilizational hierarchy.

  • The universality of the right to access the goods and services provided in our time is perceived by all peoples, particularly those who were subjected to the ideological and material impositions of colonialism, many of which were presented as paradises precisely because of the gaps caused by their backwardness in technological and organisational terms.

  • The economic and civic losses of tourism projects that don’t value the real and complex human and natural realities of the host communities end up outweighing the immediate benefits achieved, which, in addition, tend to be retained in significant proportions by external organisations and local elites.

  • The awareness of these critical parameters becomes a condition for a contemporarily adjusted, socially pragmatic and ethically acceptable increase in the number of “island paradises” as tourist destinations choice which, in order to be so, need to share a happiness that can no longer be a prerogative promised only to visitors.

As for implications with the industry, for marketing professionals and island destinations, this research implies a strategic realignment towards more sustainable, culturally sensitive, and authentic promotion practices. Marketers should leverage local narratives, environmental stewardship, and community involvement to craft compelling, truthful representations of island life. This shift not only aligns with growing tourist expectations for authenticity and sustainability but also supports the long-term preservation of island heritage and ecosystems. Additionally, policymakers and stakeholders are encouraged to collaborate in developing holistic tourism models that balance economic benefits with ecological and cultural integrity, ensuring that islands remain vibrant, diverse, and resilient communities within the global tourism landscape.