Mental souvenirs: A Study of tourists and their city maps

Abstract

Seventy‐two tourists were asked to draw a sketch map of a city (Oxford) which they were visiting for the first time. The subjects were chosen in accord with the requirements of a 2 × 2 × 2 design in which the three variables were sex, two days or six days in the city, peripheral or central accommodation. The effect of each of these variables on the subjects' sketch maps was investigated. The maps were coded using four dimensions; the number of paths, the number of landmarks, the number of districts and an orientation or accuracy score. A 2 × 2 × 2 analysis of variance was conducted on each of these categories. It was demonstrated that all aspects of the city increase with a longer stay and, by the use of t tests, that the proportion of the elements in the total map remains the same. The female tourists report less paths but produce an equally accurate image suggesting that perhaps there are different styles of recalling the city. Locational differences, though confounded by sample differences suggest that peripheral locations may confer some advantages in assisting tourists to recall the visited city.