Rethinking authenticity in the tourist experience-

AnnalsofTourismResearch,Vol.26,No.2,pp.349
370,19991999ElsevierScienceLtd.Allrightsreserved\PergamonPrintedinGreatBritain0160-7383/99$19.00+0.00PII:S0160-7383(98)00103-0RETHINKINGAUTHENTICITYINTOURISMEXPERIENCENingWangZhongshanUniversity,ChinaAbstract:Thispaperaimsataconceptualclarificationofthemeaningsofauthenticityintouristexperiences.Threeapproachesarediscussed,objectivism,constructivism,andpost-modernism,andthelimitsof{{object-relatedauthenticity||arealsoexposed.Itissuggestedthatexistentialauthenticityisanalternativesourceintourism,regardlessofwhetherthetouredobjectsareauthentic.Thisconceptisfurtherclassifiedintotwodifferentdimensions:intra-personalandinter-personal.Thisdemonstratesthatexistentialauthenticitycanexplainagreatervarietyoftouristexperiences,andhencehelpsenhancetheexplanatorypowerofthe{{authenticity-seeking||modelintourism.Keywords:authenticity,existentialauthenticity,tourism,touristexperiences1999ElsevierScienceLtd.Allrightsreserved.Resume:Pourrepenserl|authenticitedanslesexperiencesdutourisme.Cetarticleviseauneclarificationconceptuelledessignificationsdel|authenticitedanslesexperiencesdutourisme.Ondiscutedetroisfaconsd|aborderlesujet:objectivisme,constructivismeetpostmodernisme,enexaminantaumemetempsleslimitesde{{l|authenticitelieeauxchoses||.Onsuggerequel|authenticiteestunesourcealternativeentourismesansconsiderersilesobjetsvisitessontauthentiques.Ceconceptestclassifieenencoredeuxdimensions:interpersonnelleetintra-personnelle.Cecidemontrequel|authenticitepeutexpliquerunplusgrandnombred|ex-periencesdestouristes,cequiaidearehausserlepouvoirexplicatifdumodeledu{{chercheurd|authenticite||dutourisme.Mots-cles:authenticite,authenticiteexistentielle,tourisme,experiencesdutourisme.1999ElsevierScienceLtd.Allrightsreserved.INTRODUCTIONMacCannell(1973,1976)introducedtheconceptofauthenticitytosociologicalstudiesoftouristmotivationsandexperiencestwodecadesago.Sincethen,thesubjecthasbecomeanagendafortourismstudy(Brown1996;Bruner1989,1994;Cohen1979a,1988;Daniel1996;Ehrentraut1993;Harkin1995;Hughes1995;Littrell,AndersonandBrown1993;MoscardoandPearce1986;PearceandMoscardo1985,1986;Redfoot1984;Salamone1997;Selwyn,1996a,Shenhav-Keller1993;Silver1993;TurnerandManning1988;Wang1997a).However,withtheconceptofauthenticitybeingwidelyused,itsambiguityandlimitationshavebeenincreasinglyexposed.Criticsquestionitsusefulnessandvaliditybecausemanytouristmotivationsorexperi-encescannotbeexplainedintermsoftheconventionalconceptofauthenticity.Phenomenasuchasvisitingfriendsandrelatives,beachholidays,oceancruising,naturetourism,visitingDisneyland,personalNingWangisAssociateProfessorintheDepartmentofSociologyatZhongshanUniversityGuangzhou,P.R.ofChina.Email[e-mail]).HeobtainedhisPhDdegreefromUniversityofSheffield,UK.HisresearchinterestisintheSociologyofTourism,focusingontherelationshipbetweentourismandmodernity.Heiscurrentlywritingabookonthesociologyoftourism.349350RETHINKINGAUTHENTICITYhobbiessuchasshopping,fishing,hunting,orsports,andsoon,havenothingtodowithauthenticityinMacCannell|ssense(Schudson1979;Stephen1990;Urry1990).AccordingtoUrry,{{the{searchforauthenticity|istoosimpleafoundationforexplainingcontemporarytourism.||(1991:51).Butstillauthenticityisrelevanttosomekindsoftourismsuchasethnic,historyorculturetourism,whichinvolvetherepresentationoftheOtherorofthepast.However,iftheconceptisoflimitedapplicability,thenhowcanitbeofcentralimportanceintourismstudies?Canonecontinuetouseitwhileignoringthedif-ficultiesrelatingtoit,discarditaltogether,oralternatively,redefineitsmeaninginordertojustifyandenhanceitsexplanatorypower?Thispaperconcentratesonthethirdchoice:rethinkingthemean-ingsofauthenticityintermsofexistentialphilosophers|usageoftheidea.Whilethetwoconventionalmeaningsintheliterature(namely,objectiveandconstructiveauthenticity)arediscussed,itsthirdusage(existentialauthenticity)willbesuggestedasanalternative.Thispaperhastwoaims.First,thethreedifferentapproaches*objec-tivism,constructivism,andpostmodernism*arereviewedandanaly-zed.Asaresult,threedifferenttypesofauthenticity(objectiveauthenticity,constructiveorsymbolicauthenticity,andexistentialauthenticity)willbeclarified.Second,thepaperwillsuggestthat,inpostmodernconditions,bothobjectiveandconstructiveauthenticity,asobject-relatednotions,canonlyexplainalimitedrangeoftouristexperiences,whereasexistentialauthenticity,asactivity-relatedsitu-ation,isgermanetotheexplanationofagreatervarietyoftouristexperiences.Existentialauthenticityisfurtherclassifiedintotwodifferentdimensions:intra-personalandinter-personalauthenticity.AUTHENTICITYINTOURISMEXPERIENCEAuthenticityisatermgrownambiguousfromvariedusagesandcontexts(Golomb1995:7).AccordingtoTrilling,theoriginalusagewasinthemuseum,wherepersonsexpertinsuchmatterstestwhetherobjectsofartarewhattheyappeartobeorareclaimedtobe,andthereforeworththepricethatisaskedforthem*or,ifthishasalreadybeenpaid,worththeadmirationtheyarebeinggiven(1972:93).Thistermwasalsoborrowedtorefertohumanexistenceand{{thep