This paper proposes an epistemological transition based on Edgar Morin's complexity paradigm to analyse authenticity in a complex tourism environment, avoiding fragmentation, and integrating relevant actors and relationships. The results show that storytelling is an important element of these tourism experiences, legitimising and unifying the authenticity of the experience and relating objects, social environment and individual experiences. The size of the tour groups and the rigidity of the itinerary were important elements for constructing authenticity. Tourists, service providers and government bodies all directly or indirectly participate as co-creators, making the perception of authenticity a constant negotiation between the elements of the experience and the actors involved in it.
DOCUMENT
For twenty years, typical outdoor lifestyle sports like rafting, snowboarding and rock climbing, which used to be exclusively practised in natural environments, are being offered in controlled artificial settings. This process can be described as 'the indoorisation of outdoor sports'. With this development, questions of authenticity arise. Are these new, commercial forms still authentic lifestyle sports? And can we consider the participants in these indoorised lifestyle sports as authentic? There has been a discussion about authenticity in lifestyle sports since its worldwide popularisation and it is worth to reconsider this discussion against the background of new, commercial versions of lifestyle sports. Therefore, in this paper a qualitative analysis is offered about the consumption of a constructed authenticity in a cultural context increasingly characterized by artificialization.
DOCUMENT
This study explores the negotiation process underpinning the creation of authentic experiences in luxury lodges. The findings of this study highlight how this is a balancing act performed by the hosts through the provision of an authentic experiential platform connecting guests with unique places and genuine people and is of a luxurious nature. Staged experiences are authenticated by the guests through their bodies and minds, activating, in turn, experiences of existential authenticity. Contributing to service marketing and management literature, the study departs from purely abstract authenticity conceptualisations by applying an experience design and management lens to understanding authentic experiences. Practically, our findings demonstrate how authenticity is operationalised in luxury lodges and how these experiences are understood and valued by tourism and hospitality consumers and providers, providing crucial implications for luxury accommodation marketers and managers.
LINK
Tourism studies carried out on the "Experience Economy" and on "Authenticity" are mostlyfounded on a subjectivist epistemology. In this article it is argued than an objectivist approach offers a valuable counterpart. This approach will be developed on the basis of the ideas as "Kruithof" who proposes a switch to aa realistic epistemology. "Musschenga" who analyses the concept of intriinsic quality and "Apostel" who pleads for an objective framework of moral abligations. Within this objectivistic oriented line of thought it is possible to qualify objectively the value of built heritage in order to contribute to the maintenance and the development of the material authenticity of the cultural tourism supply on the one, and to the contribution of real content for cultural experiences on the other hand.
MULTIFILE
This chapter explains the role of authenticity in creative tourism in rural areas and identifies future research needs. Community-based tourism and creative tourism both use the concept of authenticity extensively, but uncritically. To develop creative tourism in rural areas and prevent commodification, the theoretical assumptions and definitions behind authenticity must be considered. The study analyses how different theories of authenticity are applied in creative and community-based tourism literature and suggests a synthetic theory of authenticity applicable to creative tourism development in rural areas. This theory was explored in the context of five Balinese villages using a microethnographic approach with participant observation and expert as well as tourist interviews. Findings extend the discussion in the literature and provide further evidence that the synthesized definition of authenticity is reasonable for creative tourism in rural areas. This definition of authenticity may develop differently in other cultural contexts. More research is also needed to classify expectations of authenticity among different types of creative tourists. Finally, as tourism influences how authenticity changes over time, future research on the carrying capacity of rural areas is essential for the development of creative tourism in rural areas.
LINK
This study investigates existential authenticity, which focuses on how the tourist object helps (re-)discover one’s own true self, at Santa Claus Office, Rovaniemi (Finland). It aims at providing a better understanding of existential authenticity in the context of tourism, consumer behavior and hospitality management
DOCUMENT
DOCUMENT
DOCUMENT
In the context of rapidly growing numbers of university students reporting that they have experienced mental health problems, this paper argues that doing research as an undergraduate can contribute to student well-being. Although the benefits of undergraduate research are well documented, underlying reasons for its efficacy on positive student outcomes require investigation. This paper uses Self-Determination theory, which has empirically shown that fulfilling one’s need for autonomy, competence, and relatedness fosters well-being. Using authenticity as a conceptual lens to understand undergraduate research experiences, and a novel connection to Self-Determination theory, the theoretical proposition that authenticity within undergraduate research contributes to well-being is elaborated. The paper suggests that authenticity within undergraduate research experiences offers a way to stimulate well-being among our students, which hinges on effective curriculum design and mentoring. Two case studies, drawn from Medicine and Geography, explore the way in which curriculum design coupled with mentoring pedagogy can enhance authenticity in research, student motivation, and, therefore, well-being. The paper reveals how authentic research-based learning can form an entitlement for all students through an embedded curriculum-based approach. The paper advocates for research-based learning to begin early in the undergraduate curriculum, in order to establish a sense of belonging for students and healthy learner-centred pedagogy. In addition to the framework for authenticity adopted, this paper reveals the importance of attention to the quality of learning spaces (novelty, professionalism, inclusivity) and the practice-based elements of mentoring for effective relationships between learners and teachers to ensure the well-being of all involved.
LINK
The COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic represented a significant break with previous patterns of cultural consumption, effectively halting the growth of “mass cultural tourism” driven by cheap flights and collaborative economy accommodation. Surveys conducted by the ATLAS Cultural Tourism Group in Portugal were used to develop a detailed picture of cultural tourism consumption during the pandemic. In 2020 and early 2021 surveys were conducted at different locations in the country, generating over 500 responses. The research shows that COVID-19 had significant impacts on the profile and activities of cultural tourists in Portugal, with much more domestic tourism at most sites, and fewer visitors staying away from home. Levels of satisfaction and intention to return remained high, as did perceived authenticity. There was a significant drop in touring holidays, with visitors more likely to stay in a single location. Those tourists visiting cultural attractions during the pandemic had a positive experience, despite the challenging conditions. Levels of satisfaction increased compared with previous surveys in Portugal in 2004, but there were also fluctuations in levels of satisfaction during the pandemic period, correlated with levels of COVID-19 infections. Some indications of emerging alternative forms of cultural tourism include an increased proclivity for rural locations and inland areas, away from destinations usually associated with mass (cultural) tourism. The article concludes by considering a number of implications for the development of cultural tourism in Portugal and other destinations in the postpandemic era.
MULTIFILE
