Rural tourism in Australia — has the gaze altered? Tracking rural images through film and tourism promotion

Abstract

Abstract Australians' image of themselves and how others view them is embedded in the images presented by contemporary popular media, both domestic and international. Many of these images are rural; however, they are not based on a Romantic rural idyll but, rather, stem from notions of the Australian ‘bush’. The meaning behind these images not only reflects the attitudes and political environment of the day, but also can influence potential tourists' desire to visit the country. By looking at three film versions (spanning almost a century) of the popular Australian bushranging legend, Ned Kelly, and their relationship with tourism images, we can start to consider this relationship. While the Kelly legend is influential in terms of Australian self‐image, the images presented in the movies do not correlate with the tourism images of the time. Such dissonance creates confusion in visitors' perceptions and represents lost promotional opportunities possibly even having a negative effect on rural tourism. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.