| In this thesis, I explore the nature of modern leisure travel and its relationship to the practice of photography. To explore this relationship, I analyze the modern tour as a ritualistic derivative of both the traditional rite of passage and the mythological hero-quest. I find that, despite practical alterations, the contemporary tour maintains the schematic formulations of these previous journey forms, emerging as the instinctual relative of the hero-quest and the cultural descendent of the rite of passage. I contend that vacation photography is an intrinsic element in understanding the nature of modern leisure travel in relation to these previous journey forms, giving definition to the journey experience and functionality to the modern tour's ritualistic practice. Ultimately, I contend that the practice of vacation photography and the presence of the vacation image maintain the modern tour's social function as a rite of passage, yet undermine its transcendental connection to the hero-quest. |
