Course Title: Phd in Communication

Thesis Title: Celebrating Barcelona – one city, many journeys; creatively marketing tourism through travel novels for young readers

Supervisors: Dr Helen Ayres, Dr Rowena Harper and Prof Byron Keating

Sally’s PhD in Communication research details a concept, Creatively Marketing a City, that she has developed that uses travel novels for young readers as a new creative marketing tool. By focusing on Creative Tourism, she discusses how travel novels support cultural education and encourage young people to travel by considering the premise that the educated (informed) tourist is a more respectful tourist. The concept of the travel novel for young readers is a new genre in writing, and has been designed so it can easily be adapted for a range of destinations.

As part of her PhD, Sally is writing a younger reader travel novel for 8-14 year olds promoting the culture, history and attractions in Barcelona.Titled: Barcelona – friends until the end…the journeys of Montse and Dras it is a travel guide in a story for young readers about a free-spirited cat, Montse, and a timid dog, Dras, and their adventurous journey in and around Barcelona.

Sally Webster is an author, academic and marketing communications professional with more than 20 years’ experience in marketing communications in Government, politics, education, tourism and the arts. She is currently lecturer in Advertising- Marketing Communications at University of Canberra, and is completing her PhD in Communication that investigates using travel novels as a new destination marketing tool to creatively market a city (the city of Barcelona) while also supporting cultural education. http://www.mediaforis.com/barcelona-guide-bureau/barcelona-guide-bureau-met-the-inspiring-australian-author-sally-webster/#more-1724 Her academic research focuses on creative tourism marketing, tourism writing, city branding and identity, cultural education, and the influence of young people as the current and future tourists.