The semiotics of the Image in the Official Tourism Websites, A Semiological Analytical Study for the “Visit Saudi” Website

Abstract

Objectives: The study aimed at the semiotic analysis of the images on the “Spirit of Saudi Arabia” website. With the aim of revealing the latent meanings and connotations carried by the images on the study site, as a model for the official Saudi tourist sites as a visual discourse.

Methodology: The study belongs to the qualitative studies that seek an accurate and in-depth description using the method of semiotic analysis, and using the approaches of "Roland Barthes and Martin Jolly" to reach the connotations and meanings of images. The sample of the study included (10) images, which were chosen to be rich in symbols, semantics, signs, and semiotic icons that help reveal the underlying meanings. It was taken into account to diversify it, as a sample was taken from the various pages of the site, To try to represent.

Results: The study concluded that the site was keen to show the diversity of the tourist places in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the presence of many different tourist places that satisfy and enjoy different tourists from all over the world with different tendencies and different desires, The diversity of the climate, which gives a sense of the presence of the four weather seasons simultaneously within Saudi Arabia, due to its distinguished geographical location.

Conclusion: The results showed that the site focused on the cultural tourism pattern in line with Vision 2030, which is the preservation of cultural heritage. The images were able to link the visual identity with the value, societal, heritage and civilization dimensions through which the vision was launched.