“The Spirit of Joyful Service”: From Hospitality to Domestic Service in British Travel Literature (Mallorca, 1907-2007)

This study proposes a comparative approach to the analysis of the cultural dialogue between British women travellers and the local society in Mallorca during the twentieth century on the region. Initially, it explores to what extent the relationship between visitors and islanders develops and transforms from a dynamic of encounter and hospitality first, into one of tourist or domestic service where local women are perceived as servants. Similarly, this paper analyses how this latter relationship oscillates from an initial contractual dependence towards a more intimate and confidential relationship, where the local woman mediates between the traveller and the local culture. Through the analysis of travel literature, this essay seeks on the other hand, to unravel the crystalised representations and perceptions that emerge around hospitality, tourist service and intercultural dialogue in this specific context, offering a unique perspective on the beginnings and evolution of tourism in Mallorca.