Abstract

This research aims to explore the auditory daily routine of all-inclusive resorts as a stand-alone microcosm in politically unstable and insecure countries, in this case in Egypt, Tunisia and Turkey. Three comparable hotels were chosen in order to examine the touristic "bubble" from the inside. Is the sound the oil that keeps the holiday machine running? Recorded extracts of the project give an auditory impression of the scheduled acoustic territory of the visited places. Even when there are only a few guests, the background music communicates a similar program and atmosphere in the resorts. The surrounding political and economical landscape does not leak through the walls. The three hotels investigated all follow a globalized scheme of a non-place, where tourists feel at home everywhere and the sites are interchangeable.

The audio file (12:50min) contains acoustic scenes from the three holidays. This includes background music at the reception, loud upbeat music at the pool, an entertainer at the buffet mixed with the sounds of other guests, and the ever-present humming backdrop of maintenance work and air-conditioning.

The recordings were part of a research on holiday destinations collected for an exhibition and performances/events in Innsbruck in 2016 and 2017 by Anna Lerchbaumer, Andreas Zißler and Pia Prantl.

The further context of this recording is disseminated in Paragrana in the article “The All-Inclusive Soundscape. On the Sound in Three Resorts in Egypt, Tunisia and Turkey”.

Field recording