Taking the tourism system and its various components as a starting point, a study has been made of video films employed in charter tour operators' marketing operations. The objective of the study was to achieve an understanding of what in fact is communicated between each organization and the viewer - the tourist to be. The analysis shows that videos may directly influence attitudes and that while the strategic aims of the organizations using videos appear to be achievable - ie to package the experience, to direct the viewers' expectations, and ultimately to sell charter tours - unconscious results are also obtained. The pictures of dream and fantasy promise social relations, thrills, adventure and self-fulfilment. The question arises of whether tour operators act knowledgeably and responsibly in tourism situations where people of differing cultural backgrounds are brought together. It is argued that the video may serve to reinforce prejudices and defend typical ‘tourist’ behaviour.
This paper discusses what is communicated to the viewers through the content of TV travel shows. The concepts of destination image and travel motivation are focused on, and selected Swedish TV travel shows constitute the empirical basis for that discussion. The pictures could easily be used for many tourist destinations around the world — showing TV reporters and anonymous tourists taking part in various activities. However, the results indicate that the studied films are coloured by culture: not necessarily the culture signifying the destinations presented, rather that of the producers and the prospective tourists. It is concluded that new and different destinations are presented in a general way, while the films of established destinations are activity based.