WHO IS THE TOURIST? ANALYZING "TOURIST BODIES" ON THE INSTAGRAM OF A BRAZILIAN TRAVEL AGENCY

Advertising is constructed through images that idealize certain body types, and in this context, it is important to understand how tourism shapes the imaginary around the bodies of those considered tourists. Based on this discussion, the present article aims to investigate which bodies are featured in the advertising published on the Instagram account of CVC Viagens, considered the "best leisure travel agency" in Brazil according to the “Best of Tourism PANROTAS 2023” award. This qualitative research applied content analysis of images, using a non-probabilistic intentional sampling method. Data were collected from March 1st to March 31st, 2024, analyzing all photo posts on the aforementioned social media profile. Of the 65 posts identified, 33 images containing people were selected for qualitative analysis. The photographs were categorized based on the number of people present in each image to guide the analysis of visual elements (single person; couple; family; friends; group of unrelated people). Subsequently, the following aspects were observed: gender, race/skin color, body type (contour and proportions), clothing, age group, and whether the person had or appeared to have a disability. Among the findings, the results showed that the agency posted more images of women (81% of the single-person photos featured women); that women at the beach or pool wore bikinis, while men did not wear swim briefs; that only men were shown engaging in adventure activities; and that only five images included Black individuals. No fat, elderly, or visibly disabled people were present in the analyzed images. Only one photo, taken from a certain focal distance, depicted what could be considered "real" women’s bodies. The study supports international analyses revealing a preference in tourism advertising for young, slim, white, and healthy individuals. As a conclusion, the article points out that the bodies privileged in tourism—the ones represented as tourists—do not reflect real bodies, and it questions how this type of advertising is harmful to a tourism model that seeks justice, equity, and social equality.