Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change
Editors: Prof. Mike Robinson (Centre for Tourism and Cultural Change, Leeds Metropolitan University) and Dr Alison Phipps (University of Glasgow)
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Volume: 1 Number: 1 Page: 54–70
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From Storyville to Bourbon Street: Vice, Nostalgia and Tourism
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Catherine Vesey and Frédéric Dimanche
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This paper contrasts New Orleans' former red-light district, Storyville, and contemporary Bourbon Street, New Orleans' major tourist attraction, to illustrate how history has been revived into a tourist
product to maintain the city's appeal as a destination. Nostalgic images are developed for tourism consumption of heritage destinations. The images are idealised versions of the past that alter the authenticity
of the historic context from where they came. On Bourbon Street, the Storyville district is utilised as an image to elicit nostalgia of a period no longer actively incorporated into New Orleans's cultural
fabric. Through a qualitative analysis of the tourism communication materials, Bourbon Street is analysed as a nostalgic representation of Storyville and its once acceptable vice activities. Activities
such as public sexuality, music and dancing, and shopping are ways in which tourists can experience the once legal red-light district. It is argued that what is presented to tourists is a commercial image
of the past and its reputation, rather than an accurate portrayal of New Orleans either yesterday or today.
Keywords: AUTHENTICITY, ICONOGRAPHY, NEW ORLEANS, VICE, MYTHS, IMAGE
© Multilingual Matters 2003
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