During the project, I wanted to explore what tourism can be. Definitions of it usually point out travelling outside of the standard location and taking advantage of commercial and entertainment facilities of the visited place. For the purpose of the project, I wanted to include a group I call local tourists – people who are local to the area but explore it with a tourist approach. It is pretty common that we are not entirely familiar with every attraction in our immediate area, and we wear visitor costumes to learn more about it.
The zine highlights various historical events from the location history and includes social commentary. The publication is aimed at a socially involved audience, which in exploration holds interest not only for the tourists’ attractions but also reflects on the area’s heritage and culture in both a positive and negative perspective. I will include a leaflet with additional information in the envelope with the zine. Page one will list the collage’s commentary as a reference for the information on the page’s other side. The second page will also contain a QR code which will allow the user to access a dynamic website with a calendar showing current events in the area, current community initiatives, art projects, tourist ideas and tours as well as some historical information which can be connected to a GPS providing additional info to a tourist location in real-time while they explore South Shields.
