Narrativas audiovisuales y la producción social del deseo de viaje: un estudio comparado entre España y Colombia

Diego Santos; Silvia Giménez Rodríguez

doi:10.4185/rlcs-2026-2655

Authors

Diego Santos EAE Business School Madrid & UNIE Universidad https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2205-8962
Silvia Giménez Rodríguez Universidad Rey Juan Carlos https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6709-1694

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4185/rlcs-2026-2655

Keywords:

audiovisual-induced tourism, sociology of tourism, film-induced tourism, travel motivation, tourist imaginaries, documentary, narrative transportation

Abstract

Introduction: The relationship between audiovisual content and tourism has intensified in the platform era, as media representations of places contribute to tourist imaginaries and to the cultural mediation of travel desire. While film-induced tourism research has largely privileged fiction, important gaps remain regarding the role of documentaries, cross-cultural differences and variations by age and gender. This study compares Spain and Colombia and distinguishes between audiovisual inspiration and effective travel activation. Methodology: A quantitative, descriptive and comparative design was applied using the EAE Tourism 2025 Study (online surveys in Spain and Colombia; adults who travelled for leisure in the last 12 months; N=1001). Percentage distributions were analysed to estimate prevalence, inspiring genres and sociodemographic differences. This approach is innovative in that it comparatively operationalizes the conversion between inspiration and activation, and it makes visible the documentary’s specific role as a tourism driver in a Latin American context. Results: Contrasting patterns emerged. Spain showed a balanced profile across films, series and documentaries as sources of inspiration, whereas Colombia displayed a marked predominance of documentary content. Travel activation aligned more strongly with fiction in Spain and with documentaries in Colombia, with differences across age cohorts and gender. The comparison between the two countries and the inspiration–activation distinction make it possible to identify two cultural models of converting mediated desire into mobility: a more fictional-balanced one in Spain and a more factual-documentary one in Colombia. Discussion: Findings suggest that audiovisual influence varies by cultural context, narrative type and audience profiles. Distinguishing inspiration from activation helps clarify conversion mechanisms from mediated desire to tourist mobility, linking to narrative transportation, the construction of imaginaries and perceived authenticity. Conclusions: Audiovisual tourism is a heterogeneous and culturally conditioned phenomenon. Results have practical implications for Film Commissions and destination communication strategies, underscoring the need for audience-tailored audiovisual and tourism policies.

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Author Biographies

Diego Santos, EAE Business School Madrid & UNIE Universidad

Es doctor en Sociología (URJC 2016) y profesor-investigador en EAE Business School y UNIE Universidad, donde dirige el Máster Internacional en Turismo. Su trabajo académico se orienta al análisis sociológico del turismo, las instituciones y las dinámicas culturales vinculadas al ocio y al deporte. Sus líneas de investigación incluyen turismo internacional, políticas y gobernanza turística, educación y formación en turismo, así como el estudio sociológico del surf como práctica cultural y fenómeno territorial. Ha publicado diversos estudios sobre la construcción social de los destinos, los imaginarios turísticos y las transformaciones contemporáneas de la movilidad. Compagina investigación y docencia con la difusión científica en proyectos centrados en la interpretación crítica del turismo global.

Silvia Giménez Rodríguez, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos

Es doctora en Sociología, licenciada en Ciencias Políticas y Sociología, y diplomada en Trabajo Social, con formación especializada en socio-comunicación, drogodependencias, cooperación al desarrollo y terapia transpersonal. Profesora acreditada por ACAP/ANECA, ha desarrollado su labor docente en la Universidad Pontificia Comillas y, desde 2010, en la Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, donde es Vicedecana de Investigación e Innovación. Ha realizado estancias académicas en universidades de España, México, Estados Unidos, Italia y Portugal. Su principal línea de investigación es la sociología de la exclusión social, ámbito en el que dirige el Observatorio para su Análisis y Visibilidad, el GIARS y diversos proyectos competitivos y contratos de investigación. Ha dirigido tres tesis doctorales y cuenta con amplia producción científica. Fundadora y presidenta de la ONG Proyecto Ser. Terapeutas Sin Fronteras.

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