Umberto Eco defines semiotics as “Semiotics deals with everything that can be taken as a sign” (Eco, 1997, p. 7). Similarly, Hopkins (1998) suggested semiotics as the study of signs and sign systems that can be used as a tool for understanding cultural creations. Jakobson (1968, p. 698) also states that “semiotics deals with those general principles which underlie the structure of all signs and the character of their use within messages, as well as the specificities of the various systems of different signs and messages using these different types of signs”. However, modern concepts of semiotics come from Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913), a Swiss linguist, and Charles Sanders Peirce (1839-1914), an American philosopher, as mainstream (Candler, 2007). Saussure defined the term semiology as “a science which studies signs within society” (Saussure, 1916, p. 16). As a linguist, he sought to analyze sign systems as a linguistic pathway through words and language (Echtner, 1999). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In contrast, Peirce's semiotic theory included a broader meaning to understand not only for textual objects but also for non-textual objects ( Metro-Roland, 2009). This was the goal for understanding the entire human experience (Echtner, 1999). He said that “This whole universe is perfused with signs if it is not composed exclusively of signs” (Peirce, 1934, p. 302). To analyze our research question, we use a semiotic model by Charles Sanders Peirce. Peirce's model Peirce (1955, p. 99) stated that “A sign . . . [in the form of representamen] is something that represents something to someone in some way or capacity. It addresses someone, that is, it creates an equivalent sign in that person's mind, or perhaps a more developed sign. I call that sign that creates the interpretant of the first sign. The sign represents something, its object. It represents that object, not in all respects, but in reference to a kind of idea, which I have sometimes called the foundation of representation.” Based on Peirce's model of representation, the semiotic process has three fundamental components: sign, object and interpretant. Pennington & Thomsen (2010) suggest that analyzes of representation should understand that the relationship between sign and object as well as between sign and interpretant cannot be separated. Furthermore, the examination of the sign-object relationship must be considered as an initial part of the semiotic process. So, signs can be classified as icon, index and symbol to understand the relationship between sign and object. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Finally, the semiotic model highlights collateral experiences to understand the interpretation of the semiotic process. Collateral experience meaning that when someone recognizes the sign, they will use previous knowledge to understand the sign of a particular object. Peirce (1931-58, p. 8179) also defines collateral experience as a “prior knowledge of what the sign denotes”. Therefore, collateral experience can be applied in our research paper to perceive it as a destination image based on someone's past experience and prior knowledge of the specific place. Consequently, a combination of objects, signs, interpretants and collateral experiences will be used to analyze the case.