From Text to Database: A Digital Framework for Italian Institutional Tourism Discourse (1919-1959)

The ongoing digital turn in tourism studies has transformed research methodologies by enabling the use of digital archives, online repositories and databases to analyse and compare sources across time. In Italy, however, collections specifically devoted to institutional tourism communication remain limited or virtually absent. Addressing this gap, this study presents a methodological framework for designing metadata-rich databases that support both quantitative and qualitative investigations in tourism, language, and translation studies. Drawing on the DIETALY project, which examines English-language institutional tourism communication in Italy between 1919 and 1959, the study outlines a replicable methodology for database creation, informed by extensive archival research. The resulting open-access database catalogues over 600 promotional texts with detailed metadata, enabling users to explore patterns in themes, visual materials, geographic focus and promotional strategies. By providing a structured approach to examining these past practices, the database becomes a valuable resource for interpreting and evaluating contemporary nation-branding strategies. When combined with recent findings on contemporary institutional tourism campaigns, it allows diachronic comparisons that reveal how promotional trends and representational strategies have evolved, fostering an interdisciplinary, digitally informed approach to tourism research and offering insights that can inform and enhance present-day marketing initiatives.