Evaluation in Tourism Discourse: A Corpus-Assisted Study of Institutional Promotion of the Emilia-Romagna Adriatic Coast in English and Italian (1960s–1990s)

This study investigates the use of evaluative language in English and Italian print tourism promotional materials (TPMs) produced between the 1960s and the 1990s, focusing on the Adriatic coastal area of Emilia-Romagna, commonly referred to as the Riviera romagnola. Drawing on a corpus-assisted discourse analysis approach and grounded in Appraisal Theory (Martin & White, 2005), the study has a twofold aim: (1) to identify the most frequently promoted localities across decades to assess the visibility and strategic prioritization of destinations, and (2) to examine how evaluative language is employed to construct affective and appreciative representations of those destinations. The analysis is based on the DIETALY corpus, a collection of digitized TPMs archived by ENIT – Agenzia Nazionale del Turismo. Quantitative findings reveal a disparity in the attention given to Adriatic destinations compared to larger cities, suggesting editorial biases in favor of more prominent urban centers. Qualitatively, the study finds that the judgment sub-system is largely absent, while affect and appreciation are central to constructing a discursive image of the coast as both a tranquil, family-friendly destination and a lively, nightlife-oriented locale. This "double nature" reflects broader shifts in tourism discourse over time, catering to the evolving expectations of diverse tourist demographics. These findings contribute to ongoing discussions on tourism discourse, regional branding, and the interplay between language, place, and promotional strategy.