The Synergy of Animation and Tourism Industry: Myths and Ideologies in Mickey Mouse’s Traveling Adventure

Abstract

The tourism industry circulates signs through its synergies with other cultural industries, such as film, music, museum, video gaming, and the sports industry, to name but a few. This paper aims at exploring the creation or preservation of tourist myths and ideologies through the cartoon industry following the travel experiences of one of the first and most widely known animation characters, Mickey Mouse, in animated films such as the Hawaiian Holiday (1937), Mickey’s Trailer (1938), Mr. Mouse Takes a Trip (1940), On Vacation with Mickey Mouse and Friends (1956), Croissant de Triomphe (2013), Tokyo Go (2013), Yodelberg (2013), O Sole Minnie (2013), Panda- monium (2013), Mumbai Madness (2014), O FutebalClάssico (2014), ¡FelizCumpleaños! (2015), Al Rojo Vivo (2015), Turkish Delights (2016), Entombed (2016), Dancevidaniya (2016), Locked in Love (2017), or Shipped Out (2017). In terms of methodology, this study of animated films and images will be conducted with the help of Greimas’ semiotic square combined with Roland Barthes’ writings on myth. The main objective of such research is to trace the tourist myths and ideologies that the animation industry proposes and highlights. The focus will therefore be on outlining any simplifications, stereotypes, and boundaries regarding tourist image-brand production, as well as foregrounding the creative practices and invitations to co-productions of meaning offered to young gazes, that is, those of future travelers.

Tourism Industry’s Synergies with Cultural and Creative Industries as Marketing Tools: The Case Study of Film-Induced Tourism in Greece

“…From international media to celebrities that function as opinion leaders-or influencers-, cultural and creative industries-, from archaeology to gaming and the hand-crafting industry-, the promotion iconography of destination brands is increasingly filling one's visual environment. Starting from one's young age through school books and animation films [10], Barthes' "language of travel" [11] is formed as an integral part of one's cultural habitus [12].…”

“…The tourists' ritual [8] to visit different lands and search for the familiar "markers" has been broadened in recent years so as to include the wish to participate in the "authentic" local experience, the distinctively local uniqueness of a place [10]. Even if one understands that authenticity might be "staged" for his/her eyes [13], its invented, recreated generation [14] is seen as its evolution, timely dynamism [16], a new emergent authenticity [15].…”