Tourism souvenir tattoos, between perception and significance. Case study: Bucharest’s population

Tattoos have always represented forms of cultural manifestation specific to signature groups (either ethnic or others).As a visual representation, they often transmit information about cultural characteristics through symbols.In different periods, over time, society has frequently perceived tattoos as controversial due to their association with people who showed antisocial behaviour and/or were usually part of the lower/poor social classes.Today, modern societies see tattooing as an art form, and the creativity and ingenuity shown by tattoo artists produce genuine cultural and aesthetic currents, each with its characteristics and manifestations.Romanian society has recently seen a significant emergence of artistic representations of tattoos due to a change in the perception of new generations regarding seeing and having tattoos.Tourism souvenir tattoos represent a relatively recent practice, and they have grown in scope and implementation in recent decades due to a more liberal perception of tattoos in general as well as an increase in tourists' mobility.In this context, this study explores the role of tattoos as tourism souvenirs, highlighting their significance and emotional impact on tourists.This research aims to contribute to understanding the complexity of the relationship between personal identity and travel experiences through tattoos using an interdisciplinary approach.The study's objectives include identifying why tourists choose tattoos as souvenirs and analysing their perception and emotional response to tattoos' symbolism.The study's results prove that there is a strong correlation between getting souvenir tattoos and an emotional response from tourists who intend to maintain an emotional connection with the place they visited, have a reminder of the state of mind they were in during the visit and especially emphasise that the destination has had a positive impact on them.The tattoo acquired after a tourism experience represented a form of storytelling that aims to evoke pleasant experiences, strong memories, or unforgettable places.The chosen symbolism is often closely related to the traveller's personality, beliefs, or passions, and its visual representation is very personal.