Authenticity in tourism is a widely debated topic.
Do tourists search for an authentic experience whilst on holiday? Or is leisure time all that they want? Does it matter if what the tourist thinks is ‘authentic’, actually isn’t? Is it ethical to mislead the tourist? Does authenticity come at the expense of the host?
There’s more to the discussion on authenticity in tourism than meets the eye.
This article explains the meaning of authenticity, why it matters in the tourism industry, and the key theories and debates about authenticity in tourism, including staged authenticity and existential authenticity.
The meaning of authenticity
According to the dictionary, authenticity is;
“Not false or copied: genuine and original, as opposed to being a fake or reproduction.”
Defining authenticity, however, is not such a straightforward task and it is one that has been debated for many years.
In essence, authenticity is all about being ‘real’ or ‘true’. But what is or isn’t ‘real’ or ‘true’? It is relatively easy to say whether an item such as a designer handbag is real or fake: it was either made by the designer, or it was not.
Identifying the authenticity of culture, however, is far less straightforward. Some would argue that it is impossible to determine authenticity in culture at all, because cultures constantly change.
Consider, for example, what an ‘authentic’ village in a developing country is expected to look like. Tourists often expect traditional dress, simple housing and an absence of modern technology.
There is a difference between ‘authentic’ and ‘stereotypical’, yet the two are often used almost interchangeably.
In reality, a village where people wear jeans and use smartphones is no less authentic than one where people wear traditional dress. Identifying authenticity in culture is difficult, yet tourists and the tourism industry attempt to do so all the time.
According to Justin Francis at Responsible Travel, authenticity is less about a dictionary definition and more about a feeling. He suggests that if a traveller feels that something is authentic, then for them it is authentic.
Whatever the answer is, if there even is one, it is clear that there is a lot of ambiguity surrounding the term authenticity. So what role does this play in the tourism industry?
The tourist search for authenticity
Theorists such as MacCannell (1973) and Cohen (1972) state that tourism is a modern quest for authenticity.
MacCannell (1976) suggests that Western tourists are looking for a sense of authenticity lacking in their home life; abroad, hosts provide this by creating authentic seeming presentations of their own culture.
In effect, he is suggesting that tourists travel to experience something new that they don’t have at home. They may want to learn flamenco in Spain, drink Champagne in France or watch a traditional Apsara dance performance in Cambodia, for example. They may even simply want a clean beach and some warm weather that is ‘authentically’ Spanish (or whichever destination they choose).
In contrast, Boorstin (1964) suggests that modern tourists do not seek authenticity. Instead they seek only entertainment.
According to this view, tourists do not mind if a dance lesson is a modified version developed for visitors, if a dance show is performed only for tourists, or even if the sand on a beach has been imported. Boorstin described these contrived experiences as ‘pseudo-events’.
Boorstin believes that tourists are easily satisfied by an inauthentic tourism experience. Tourists are not in search of authenticity at all. They are in search only of entertainment and enjoyment.
Staged authenticity
Tourists may therefore be in search of authenticity, or they may not be – there are strong arguments on both sides.
But what about staged authenticity?
Staged authenticity, a concept introduced by MacCannell, is when what appears to be ‘authentic’ has in fact been staged or adapted for tourists. Examples include kilted pipers performing for tourists, dishes such as chicken tikka masala presented as traditional Indian food, and cultural performances put on for safari groups.
Tourists may not always recognise that these experiences are staged, and critics argue that this can mislead visitors and commodify host cultures.
In fact, Turner (1994) argues that ‘the very existence of tourism rules out the possibility of authentic cultural experience’. In other words, the presence of tourists changes what they come to see.
This raises the question: does it matter if tourists are presented with staged authenticity?
Consider, for example, a rural ‘jungle’ experience in Goa, India, that includes learning about local life, visiting a waterfall, yoga and an evening buffet described as traditional. If the buffet includes chips, ice cream and gin and tonic alongside mild curries, is it authentic?
Most tourists may not notice or mind, and they may leave satisfied. Some argue that if tourists are happy and hosts benefit economically, staged authenticity is not a problem; others argue that it misrepresents culture and can lead to its commodification.
For more examples, see these examples of staged authenticity.
Authenticity in tourism: Key debates
It is often assumed that a destination loses its authenticity when its cultural values and traditions change. But change is natural. Should culture stay the same, or is it supposed to evolve with each generation?
Wang (1999) identified three types of authenticity: objective authenticity (the genuineness of objects and sites), constructive authenticity (authenticity as projected onto places by tourists and the industry) and existential authenticity (the tourist’s own feeling of being authentic, or true to themselves, during an experience). This helps to explain why tourists can have meaningful experiences even when what they see is not objectively authentic.
Different tourists also want different things. Some seek deep cultural immersion, others want a mixture of authentic and less authentic experiences, and some are mainly looking for relaxation and entertainment.
Authenticity in tourism therefore raises as many questions as it answers, which is why it remains one of the most debated topics in tourism studies.
Authenticity in tourism: FAQs
Below are answers to some of the most common questions about authenticity in tourism.
What is authenticity in tourism?
Authenticity in tourism refers to how genuine or ‘real’ tourist experiences, objects, places and cultural practices are, and how tourists perceive them.
What is staged authenticity?
Staged authenticity, a concept introduced by Dean MacCannell in 1973, is when culture or experiences are staged or adapted for tourists to appear authentic.
What are the three types of authenticity?
Wang (1999) identified objective authenticity, constructive authenticity and existential authenticity.
Do tourists want authenticity?
Some theorists, such as MacCannell, argue that tourists seek authenticity, while others, such as Boorstin, argue that most tourists are content with entertainment and ‘pseudo-events’.
Why is authenticity important in tourism?
Authenticity affects tourist satisfaction, the marketing of destinations and the impact of tourism on host cultures, including the risk of commodification.
Further reading
Recommended books on this topic:
Useful books on this topic include Cultural Tourism (Bob McKercher and Hilary du Cros), Deconstructing Travel: Cultural Perspectives on Tourism (Arthur Asa Berger), Re-Investing Authenticity: Tourism, Place and Emotions (Britta Timm Knudsen and Anne Marit Waade) and Responsible Tourism: Using Tourism for Sustainable Development (Harold Goodwin). If you found this article helpful, the following posts may also be of interest:
- Examples of staged authenticity in tourism
- What is cultural tourism?
- McDonaldisation explained
- What is cultural erosion?
- Cohen’s tourist typology
- How to be an ethical tourist
