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Abstract
‘Gazing’ is a complex process that involves the conditioning of the eye according to certain discourses. This relationship between ‘gaze’ and ‘discourse’ was first pointed out by Foucault as he introduced the concept of the ‘medical gaze’. Urry and Larssen applies this concept of the ‘medical gaze’ to tourism studies as they develop the concept of the ‘tourist gaze’. Their concept of the ‘gaze’ of the tourist/traveller operates at a dual level. At one level the ‘gaze’ is socio-culturally framed and is filtered through various socio-economic, cultural and psychological matrices as gender, education or nationality. At another level, this tourist ‘gaze’ is meticulously ‘constructed’ in a systematic formulaic pattern by a host of professionals associated with the tourism industry and the tourist/traveller is often presented with pre-set objects/insignia to gaze upon.