Understanding Souvenirs from a Place‐Product Perspective: Territorialization, Deterritorialization, and Reterritorialization

Abstract

Souvenir production and consumption play an important role in tourism destination development. Because constructs most commonly examined until now (e.g., authenticity, production methods, and souvenir typologies) have failed to explain several paradoxes, this study examines souvenirs from a different conceptual angle: product‐place relationships based on the framework of territorialization, deterritorialization, and reterritorialization. Based upon this theoretical framework, a new typology of souvenirs was generated–localized souvenirs, generic souvenirs, and customized souvenirs–which indicate changes in souvenirs within the broader context of time and space. Also, by examining souvenirs across the spatial and temporal domains, the uneven development of souvenirs at different stages is also revealed. These may deepen and reframe our understanding of souvenirs, production methods, and authenticity, which researchers have taken for granted in previous studies.