International Souvenir Shop
How local should products be to meet the demands of tourists looking for a souvenir? In our world economy boundaries of geographic locations and semantics are blurring. Where do these boundaries lie in the global distribution and sales of souvenirs?
Matryoshka [Japan – Russia – Paris – Prague]
In Prague you find souvenir shops completely dedicated to Matryoshka’s, which are thought to originate from Russia. They actually are inspired by the Daruma, a sought-after souvenir in Japan. The Matryoskha representing Russia, the Eiffel tower representing Paris – they both came to life around 1890. As a souvenir, Matryoshkas became well-known at the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1900, beneath the real Eiffel tower.
When tourism in Prague got moving, the Matryoshka became a symbol for the whole Eastern part of Europe. The Prague Museum of Communism, until 2017 located above a McDonalds restaurant, used an angry-looking Matryoshka to give direction to the tourists.
Sombrero [Barcelona]
On my first holiday without parents in Barcelona, I bought the largest sombrero I could find. I saw them being offered in every souvenir shop, so I assumed they were typical for the region. Of course they are originally from Mexico. How did they end up in Barcelona? Maybe the hat is symbolizing Spanish speaking countries in general. In Barcelona they speak Catalan, though.