This study analyzes the use of the personality metaphor in the official tourism websites developed by South American countries. The Big-Five human personality dimensions are used as a proxy to explore the intended personality projected by the countries. A multistage methodology using a combination of content analysis and correspondence analysis was used. Results reveal the existence of four main clusters based on the use of different personality traits to communicate the peculiarities of each country. However, an overall view of the results indicates that South American countries are not using in a substantial way the personality metaphor to create a strong positioning for the international tourists, and therefore the use of this new marketing tool is in its nascent stages.

• José I. Rojas-Méndez(Carleton University)
• Michael J. Hine(Carleton University)