This article explores the metaphorical strategies conveyed by phraseological units in a subsection of the Linguaturismo corpus (Calvi 2011). Through a quali-quantative analysis, metaphorical phraseological units related to space were identified and classified, with a view to identifying the persuasive strategies necessary to create the image of the tourist destination in the reader/traveler's mind.
The analysis followed a three-step methodology: a) semi-automatic elaboration of a list of potentially metaphorical N-grams; b) identification of phraseological patterns in the N-grams according to syntactic criteria (Corpas Pastor 1996); c) classification of metaphorical phraseological units based on the conceptual domain of space used as source domain, as target domain, and as both source and target domains (Lakoff/Johnson 1980).
Results show that space metaphors in tourist texts rely on conventional linguistic patterns typical of general language. However, on a conceptual level, they display a functional specialisation as persuasive devices; by placing the readers/tourists at the centre of the communication, metaphors contribute to enhancing their sensorial perception, thus inviting them to visit a destination, buy a tourist service, or do a tourist experience.
