Staging Marrakech: Theatricality, Exoticism and the Colonial Gaze

Abstract

This article critically examines how orientalist discourse informs the representation and promotion of Marrakech in travel guides. Through selective language, Marrakech is staged as a site of mystery and exoticism, a portrayal which is inextricably linked to the commodification of culture. By approaching promotional discourse as a discursive medium, the study reveals how cultural otherness is not only represented but also objectified and commercialized within the tourism industry.