Around the world in 45 minutes: An analysis of representational strategies in Flemish factual-entertaining travel shows

Abstract

While Flemish travel programmes enjoy widespread popularity, the ways in which they negotiate representations of destinations, cultures, and populations remain largely underexplored. This paper examines representational strategies employed in four factual-entertaining Flemish travel programmes (2018–2022) using textual analysis. In addition, expert interviews (n = 4) were employed to examine how producers themselves frame and negotiate these representations. Our textual findings reveal how Flemish travel shows frequently reproduce stereotypical and reductive portrayals of other cultures. Insights from interviews suggest that these outcomes stem from the difficulty of balancing institutional constraints and genre constraints.

Keywords

travel shows othering textual analysis interviews representation representational strategies

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