Comics as cultural method: Drawing change and communicating regeneration for tourism and intercultural communication in the Gulf region

Document Type

Article

Source of Publication

Journal of International and Intercultural Communication

Publication Date

7-3-2026

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in comics within the Gulf region, aiming to valorize and promote the countries’ identity while reflecting socio-cultural changes occurring both as a gradual movement and sudden bursts. In this context, exploring regenerative tourism values in the Gulf region through comics highlights the intersection of cultural heritage and socio-cultural transformations, suggesting strategies that contribute to a more living cultural narrative. This contribution, through the lens of socio-semiotics, focuses on comics as a cultural text and research tool, capable of revealing social dynamics and deep meanings. Research on comics as a medium for revalorizing cultural memory has emphasized their ability to simplify complex matters and provide a space for expressing ideas and emotions that might be difficult to convey through other means. Indeed, they have been widely explored as a generator of narratives capable of reflecting and influencing social perceptions. In this sense, the sensorial dimension and the distribution of values can reveal how society redefined the concept of travel in a world marked by crisis. The exploration of these themes inevitably prompts questions about discussing these issues from a transnational perspective of a shared imaginary, challenging stereotypes and myths regarding Gulf countries.

ISSN

1751-3057

Publisher

Informa UK Limited

Disciplines

Communication | Tourism and Travel

Keywords

comics, Gulf region, intercultural communication, Regenerative tourism, socio-semiotics

Scopus ID

105046695633

Indexed in Scopus

yes

Open Access

no

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