A Semiotic Critique of Neocolonial Visual Identity Branding in Seychelles Tourism

Seychelles’ tourism branding, framed globally as a tropical island paradise, mobilises visual signs that risk reproducing a neocolonial imaginary of a “paradise without people.” While destination branding research has focused on strategy and image outcomes, less attention has been paid to the semiotic function of visual identity and its interpretation by diverse audiences. This study adopts a semiotic perspective to examine how four groups: local residents, tourists, designers, and a general audience, interpret the visual identity of Seychelles tourism branding through a single official promotional image. Using a survey-based design, participants evaluated a stimulus poster drawn from the Seychelles’ official Brand Guidelines (2022). Analysis covers meaning–making through logos, typography, colour, photography, composition, and people–nature content. Findings show that photography and colour dominated attention, with green and blue powerfully signifying nature and environmental purity. The slogan “Another World” achieved strong recall despite its typographic execution disrupting readability. Crucially, interpretations of the brochure diverged: tourists associated authenticity with pristine, people-free landscapes, while local residents sought cultural presence and everyday Seychellois representation. This study reveals the visual imaginaries through which different audiences interpret the same image, demonstrating how tropical tourism visuals mediate neocolonial, environmental, and cultural meanings.