Third-Touristic Space

Luciane Todeschini Ferreira (Caxias do Sul University, Brazil) & Ronaldo Leites Diaz (Caxias do Sul University, Brazil)

Third-Touristic Space is a concept that designates a tourist attraction or tourism establishment resulting from a Touristic-Fictional Representation, intentionally conceived for tourism purposes but located in a place that is geographically disconnected from the context in which the reference work was created. Its conceptual foundation is based on the evocation of fictional literary universes that have already been consolidated within the collective imaginaries of fans and readers.

As a specific and autonomous form of spatialization conceived by the tourism industry, the Third-Touristic Space articulates multiple signs and scenographic elements. Operating according to the logic of simulacrum and hyperreality (Baudrillard, 1991), the tourist experience within this environment does not require geographical correspondence to validate authenticity. Rather, the simulacrum becomes the attraction itself, in which the atmosphere, iconography, and narrative signs are recognised by the visitor as experientially authentic. Bars, restaurants, theme parks, cafes and accommodation establishments, among other tourist attractions, may be characterised as Third-Touristic Spaces, provided that they are capable of symbolically sustaining the fictional universe they evoke.

The concept is inspired by a heuristic adaptation of the triadic ontology of space proposed by Soja (1996) and Lefebvre (1991/2013) to the field of tourism. From the perspective of the phenomenology of the tourist experience, in which an initial encounter with the narrative universe precedes physical travel, the concept is structured around the articulation of three interconnected dimensions:

1. First Space (The Fictional/Conceived Matrix): It constitutes the point of entry into the experience. It corresponds to the immaterial and diegetic universe created by the author and manifested in the literary work. It is present in the realm of signs, representations and immersive narratives that inhabit the reader’s mind and awaken the desire to travel.
2. Second Space (The Territorial/Perceived Reference): It corresponds to the concrete geographical territory and the physical landscape associated with the work, whether the place associated with the work’s creation or the author’s hometown. Although it might physically precede the work itself, this space acquires affective significance as a tourism destination for the fan only through the mediation of the First Space.
3. Third-Touristic Space (The Space of Materialised Simulacrum): It constitutes the deliberate physical materialisation of fiction by the tourism industry. It neither requires geographical correspondence with the original referent (Second Space) nor remains confined to the immateriality of the literary work (First Space). The simulacrum acquires physical form through architecture and scenography, enabling the visitor or fan to actively inhabit the narrative in a geographically displaced location, neither situated in nor dependent upon a location directly associated with the fictional setting, the author’s biography, or the work’s production.

The conceptual foundation of this logic is grounded in the notion of the tourist gaze (Urry & Larsen, 2021), through which reality is perceived by means of particular filters shaped by ideas, desires, expectations, and social conditions, amongst other factors. This gaze is organised through personal reinterpretations and anchored in affections consolidated within memory. The concept also engages with Hall’s (1997) theory of representation, understood as a cultural process of meaning-making, and with the notion of literary places (Quinteiro & Baleiro, 2014), according to which certain spaces acquire meanings that transcend their strictly geographical dimension. Unlike the notion of sense of place, which emphasises the affective and experiential bonds established with a specific place, the Third-Touristic Space refers to the deliberate production of a touristic spatiality that mobilises fictional universes regardless of geographical correspondence with the original referent.

Theoretical reflections on themed spaces, extensively discussed by authors such as Scott A. Lukas (2007), find strong conceptual resonance in the Third-Touristic Space. Driven by the expansion of shopping centres, theme parks, casinos, and themed restaurants, theming has become an important analytical framework within the Social Sciences and Cultural Studies for understanding the contemporary production of spaces for consumption, leisure, and tourism.

In general terms, theming refers to the deliberate design and organisation of a physical environment around a unifying narrative theme that integrates architecture, landscape design, interior design, entertainment and merchandising. It requires constructing a coherent spatial narrative (storytelling) in which each element contributes to the visitor’s immersion in a symbolic universe.

However, it is essential to emphasise that the Third-Touristic Space constitutes a specific category of themed space, rather than a generic form of theming or mere decoration. Whereas theming in its broadest sense may draw upon abstract concepts, historical periods or commercial brands without any connection to a pre-existing narrative, the Third-Touristic Space is defined by four fundamental attributes: (i) pre-existing fictional thematic foundation: it is necessarily grounded in a literary universe already consolidated within the collective imaginary of fans, meaning that the narrative exists in the visitor’s mind before the space is conceived; (ii) spatial and immersive materialisation: it is realised through the integrated use of architectural, scenographic, and narrative resources; (iii) geographical displacement: it is intentionally located in a geographical setting distinct from and lacking direct geographical association with the original narrative; and (iv) experiential autonomy: it constitutes a tourism attraction whose appeal is not dependent on the original geographical referent; rather, its authenticity derives from thematic coherence, the contract of hyperreality and the fan’s affective immersion, rather than from correspondence with the original geographical referent.

The concept proves particularly productive for studies in literary tourism. An example of a Third-Touristic Space is the Toca da Araucária/Condado de Prata development (Nova Prata, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil). Although located in Brazil, a geographical and cultural context far removed from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Anglo-Saxon universe, the development materialises a hobbit-like dwelling and other recognisable elements associated with Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings through architectural solutions, decorative elements, literary quotations and other interpretative resources. Rather than seeking to reproduce Middle-earth or replace its original filming locations, such as those in New Zealand, the development constitutes a distinct form of tourism spatialisation that enables visitors to inhabit the simulacrum. Within this context, the reader or fan becomes a tourist in search of the material anchoring of imagination, acting as a co-creator of the experience through consumption, photography, rituals and the enactment of roles drawn from the fictional universe.

Touristic-Fictional Representation and Third-Touristic Space should therefore be understood as related but distinct concepts. Touristic-Fictional Representation refers to the symbolic and conceptual process through which a fictional universe is translated into a potential tourism experience. Third-Touristic Space refers to the physical, architectural and spatial manifestation produced through that process in a location that does not derive its tourism significance from direct geographical association with the source literary work.

How to cite this entry: Ferreira, L. T. & Diaz, R. L.  (2026). Third-touristic space. In R. Baleiro, G. Capecchi & J. Arcos-Pumarola (Eds.), E-Dictionary of Literary Tourism. University for Foreigners of Perugia. https://doi.org/10.34623/zdg2-hn59

References 

Baudrillard, J. (1991). Simulacros e simulações (M. J. Pereira, Trans.). Relógio D’Água Editora.

Condado de Prata. (n.d.). Condado de Prata: Onde a fantasia se torna realidade. https://condadodeprata.com.br/

Hall, S. (1997). Representation: Cultural representations and signifying practices. Sage; Open University.

Lefebvre, H. (1991). The production of space (D. Nicholson-Smith, Trans.). Blackwell Publishers.

Lukas, S. A. (Ed.). (2007). The themed space: Locating culture, nation, and self. Lexington Books.

Quinteiro, S., & Baleiro, R. (Eds.). (2014). Lit&Tour: Ensaios sobre literatura e turismo. Edições Húmus.

Soja, E. W. (1996). Thirdspace: Journeys to Los Angeles and other real-and-imagined places. Blackwell Publishers.

Urry, J., & Larsen, J. (2021). O olhar do turista 3.0 (L. Abramowicz, Trans.). Edições Sesc São Paulo.