An Appraisal Perspective on Attitudinal Analysis of the Language of Tourism in English Travel Blogs about Iraq

Abstract

This study presents an appraisal perspective in the field of discourse analysis studies. It delves into the evaluative language used in selected English travel blogs. The language of tourism in these blogs plays a crucial role in influencing the perceptions of the destination. Thus, if it is not effectively employed, it can negatively affect the representation of the country, thereby influencing the tourism industry and diminishing its appeal. A mixed methods approach is used to analyse five travel blogs about Iraq. The analysis is based on the Attitude system by Martin and White (2004). The study seeks to answer the question of whether Iraqi tourism evaluated positively or negatively in travel blogs. It aims to identify the ways that Iraqi tourism is evaluated through the lens of attitude while also providing insights into the explicit and implicit evaluations. The study can raise public awareness about the power of language in shaping attitudes towards travel destinations as well as providing a new perspective on the interactions between discourse analysis and tourism studies. The study concludes that Iraq is predominantly represented positively via inscriptions of attitude. Thereupon, the attitude framework can be used as a robust model for identifying the structure of the texts. Finally, future researchers in such related topics should consider the broader socio-cultural and historical contexts shaping the language and representations found in travel magazine content. Understand how political, economic, and social factors may influence the framing and interpretation of the texts.