Diffusione dell'immagine turistica dei laghi della regione prealpina transfrontaliera

Abstract. The present paper arose from the publication of a new law on the promotion of tourism in Italy. It focuses on the image of the Lakes area in the Swiss– Italian border region–a traditional tourist area-as conveyed by the various regional tourist agencies through their information brochures and leaflets. The two «myths» appearing most frequently are the mediterranean character and the natural features of the region in question. The Swiss promotors also emphasize sports activities and the cultural heritage, two elements of the image which are particulary efficient components of the image.The analysis of the brochures and leaflets reveals that the different tourist agencies ought to coordinate their information activities more fully in order to create an integrated image of the region.This in turn could help to better exploit the tourist potential of the region.