critically accessthe role of cultural authenticity in terms of a destinations development
Critically assess the concept of “cultural authenticity” in the context of tourism destination development. Authenticity can be defined as genuine, unadulterated or ‘the real thing’. Culture can be tangible in the form of buildings and artefacts or intangible in terms of peoples values, attitudes and way of life. ... In relation to tourism the term authenticity usually refers to a motivation, as in the search or quest for authentic cultural experiences. ... It could be argued that the search for authenticity is artificial as authenticity is usually associated with tourist perceptions of a particular place or culture. Tourism is frequently accused of destroying authenticity as destinations and their culture are exploited as commodities for monetary gain. When authenticity is compromised, cultural tourism loses its credibility. Moreover when authenticity is lost and compromised cultural tourism loses what differentiates it from the created rather than ‘real’ experiences of a tourism destination. It is the responsibility of a destination to ensure that visitors understand and value the authentic cultural sites and experiences to enable the cultural authenticity of the destination to be maintained. Dean MacCannell (1971) first proposed the idea of authenticity. “ The tourist is a kind of contemporary pilgrim, seeking authenticity in other times and other places away from that persons life.” (MacCannell, (1990) ‘The Tourist’, Pg 8)According to him, tourism is a quest for authenticity, for some people they are disillusioned and unsatisfied with modern lifestyle, so they travel in search of a different way of life. ... Different tourists are looking for different things, but it can be argued that for some tourists they will not be satisfied by the staged or ‘fake’ authenticity that some destinations display for tourists. ... MacCannell identifies that the destination, attraction or cultural experience involves a complex process of production in order for a meaningful experience to be achieved and sustained. MacCannell began his analysis of the problem of authenticity by building on the work of Erving Goffman. ... In the constant quest for authenticity, the tourist is always trying to be included and observe the back region of ‘authentic’ and ‘every day life’. ... MacCannell also went on to identify that the lack of authenticity in modern society is the ‘root’ for the quest of authenticity in the tourism destination. Cohen also raises the question about the role of authenticity in our own every day lives, and whether tourists actually reflect on their own cultural beliefs and values of their own society and the authentic elements within. Cohen argued that authenticity as being specific and negotiable as it will have different meanings and importance to different people in different societies. Other views include those by Pearce (1982) who argues that it depends on the visitors perception of whether or not authenticity even exists and their need for authentic experiences. To Hughes (1999) “ Authenticity is transitory and its meaning questionable. ... ” MacCannell does agree that there is a ‘staged’ quality to authenticity, which is characterised by the organisation; there is also an almost authentic experience, which is not always perceived by the tourist.