Rethinking authenticity and tourist identity: expressions of territoriality and belonging among repeat tourists on the Greek island of Symi

This paper approaches the subject of tourist identity from an anthropological perspective, arguing for a culturally contextualized analysis that focuses on the interactive and processual nature of these constructions. Specifically, it explores the processes by which repeat tourists on the Greek island of Symi construct their identities as tourists in relation to the place of their vacation experience, local residents and other tourists. It highlights the competitive and often antagonistic way in which these tourists – drawing on ideas about authenticity and demonstrating sympathy with local concerns – seek to incorporate the island as an aspect of their own personal identities and, similarly, create a form of ‘local’ identity in Symi. The picture of tourists that emerges in this case study contrasts sharply with standard analytical formulations that portray tourists as transient and liminal figures, defined almost exclusively by their vacation preferences and experiences, and constituting a category of people that is clearly distinguishable (practically and ideologically) from local residents. As a consequence, it argues for an approach to tourist identity that seeks out linkages between tourists and locals, and which looks more broadly at the views and experiences of tourists beyond the time and space of the vacation.     

The effects of perceived authenticity,information search behaviour,motivation and destination imagery on cultural behavioural intentions of tourists

This study tested a structural model which investigates the effects of perceived authenticity, motivation, information search behaviour and destination imagery on tourists' behavioural intentions to consume cultural attractions. Data were collected at selected cultural and natural heritage sites in the island of Mauritius (N?=?600). The sample was split into two data sets. Structural equation modelling and hierarchical multiple regression were employed to test the hypothesised relationships. Findings revealed a significant positive relationship between perceived authenticity and cultural behavioural intentions of tourists. Destination imagery had an influence on tourists' cultural intentions. Information search behaviour was found to exert a negative influence on tourists' cultural intentions while motivation did not have any influence on the latter. Perceived authenticity was seen to exert a moderating effect on the respective relationships between motivation, information search behaviour, destination imagery and cultural behavioural intentions of tourists. The theoretical and managerial implications of the study are discussed.     

The representation of travel and identity in Bernardo Bertolucci's The sheltering sky

This study aims to analyse the representation of travel in movies by analysing Bernando Bertolucci's movie [Aldrich, W., Thomas, J. (Producers), & Bertolucci, B. (Director). (1990). The sheltering sky [Motion picture]. United States: Warner Bros]. Filmic travelogues are intended here as illustrations of a process of discovery and transformation of identity from a post-modern perspective. The questioning of the self happens through a journey to a timeless place which managed to preserve a sense of the past. The characters' transformation from tourists to travellers and nomads becomes a kind of pilgrimage in search of authenticity. In this perspective, the desert comes to represent a more general emptiness surrounding and inside the characters. The theories formulated by Bauman, Urry, MacCannell and Wang are central to this analysis, including the subjects of the quest of authenticity, the distinction between travellers and tourists and the files of representation.     

The visitors' perception of authenticity at the museums: archaeology versus modern art

The aim of this paper is to analyse quantitatively the visitors' perception of authenticity in two different types of museums: archaeology versus modern and contemporary art. The research is based on 1288 questionnaires collected from June to September 2011 among the visitors of the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology (ÖTZI) in Bolzano and the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MART) in Trento-Rovereto. Logit models were used in order to estimate the set of independent variables that significantly influence both the perception of the authenticity and the ‘virtual’ choice between the two types of museums considered. The results suggested that the authenticity perception was related to peculiar authenticity-related factors and by specific socio-demographic characteristics of the interviewee, although some common elements emerge. In particular, ÖTZI authenticity is linked to its uniqueness in the world, whereas MART visitors relate authenticity to the museum's building and the perception that it was not just a tourist attraction. The empirical evidence confirms the well-known concept that authenticity perception is a dynamic experience, depending on the peculiar characteristics of the attraction analysed.     

Substantial authenticity, (post/)modernity and transformation of otherness: the second trip of Camilo Jose Cela to the Alcarria

A review of literature on authenticity argues in favour of what is called here substantial authenticity, against objective, constructed and existential notions, argued as non-mutually exclusive. Several themes in substantial authenticity are found in Nuevo viaje a la Alcarria (New Journey to the Alcarria), a book by the Nobel Prize winner for Literature Camilo Jose Cela: nostalgia/hostility to modern society; social integration; autonomy from society; opposition to capitalism/commodification and opposition to pose/style/fashion. Besides the characteristically modern stance implied by some of such engagements with authenticity, Cela's work also presents postmodern traits (such as disregard for knowledge and ambiguity as to its own (non)-fictional status), prompting a discussion on the limits of the non-fictional text. The discussion is especially relevant because the authority of Cela as a famous writer (which he reinforces by concealing sources and suggesting mystical access to Otherness) enables him to apparently change the very social and cultural landscape in which he travels. This takes place both in the long-run (the region already contains markers of his first trip, which are likely to be reinforced by the second) and in the short-run (immediate transformative effects in the interaction between the author and local people).     

The development of a destination brand identity: a story of stakeholder collaboration

Literature has demonstrated the central role of stakeholders and collaboration in destination branding. However, empirical studies on stakeholder interactions and their dynamics in destination and place branding are still rare. The objective of this study is to examine how different kinds of factors and internal stakeholders’ actions contribute to destination brand identity development. Drawing from social identity and place branding theories, and empirical research from a ski destination, we identify five factors and four actions contributing to the destination brand identity development process. Our findings indicate that a strong informal stakeholder group can take the leadership in brand development and that the role of the destination marketing organisation might be overemphasised in the literature on destination marketing and management.     

Voices from Costa Rica: exploring youth perceptions of tourism and the influence of tourism on identity formation and cultural change

Tourism has become a rapidly growing phenomenon in Costa Rica over the past two decades, with a rate of foreign tourists per capita of 0.46 (one of the highest rates in the Caribbean basin). As tourism increases, it is clear that the impacts will continue to be a major change-agent, especially for small communities in Costa Rica. To explore youth perceptions of the impacts of tourism on their culture and community and to better understand the ways in which tourism influences the formation of cultural identity, this qualitative Photovoice study focuses on youth ages 10–16 living in a Costa Rican community. Through the participants’ photographs and discussion, four themes emerged, including economic impacts resulting from tourism, the preservation and loss of culture and history, the importance of respecting the land, and injustice resulting from tourism development. The youth demonstrated the ways in which their experiences and personal histories related to tourism are intertwined with their sense of identity and pride for their community and culture. The results emphasize the relevance of exploring cultural identity within youth populations and support the assertion that tourism generates significant cultural change, which in turn influences youths' past, present, and future perceptions of their community and culture.     

Resident perceptions of rural tourism development: the case of Fogo Island and Change Islands,Newfoundland, Canada

The purpose of this study is to explore the applicability of the creative destruction model in the case of Change Islands and Fogo Island, Newfoundland, Canada, which may through preservation be delaying the threat of creative destruction. Using a mixed methods approach, this study seeks to understand the evolution of tourism planning and development on Change Islands and Fogo Island, residents’ attitudes and perceptions surrounding the tourism industry and the future directions and aspirations they have for their communities and where tourism fits into that future. An analysis of the findings determined that much of Fogo Island and Change Islands falls somewhere between stage one and two of the Mitchell‘s (1998) creative destruction model. However, it also concluded that the Town of Tilting, through a strong sense of identity and preservationist attitudes, did not fit so easily into the model. There is little research on the effects that tourism development has on rural communities in Newfoundland and if tourism is increasingly being viewed as a viable option to diversify rural outport economies, studies of this nature will be important.     

Resident attitudes towards dark tourism,a perspective of place-based identity motives

Place-based identity theories prove to be valid in better understanding resident attitudes towards support for tourism. Yet, its effectiveness is not verified in the context of dark tourism and resident attitudes towards dark tourism remains unknown. Based on a survey of 526 local residents in China’s Yingxiu, the epicentre of the Great Wenchuan Earthquake, the authors examined the relationships between the local residents’ place-based identity motives and their attitudes towards support for dark tourism development. Results show that the motive of ‘belonging/meaning’ is one of the most important determinants; residents’ involvement in dark tourism and bereavement affect their identity motives and attitudes towards support for dark tourism. The theoretical contributions and managerial implications are discussed.     

Perception of authenticity of tourist art among Native American artists in Santa Fe,New Mexico

This study investigated the authenticity of tourist art from the perspectives of Native American artists in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In‐depth interviews with nine artists revealed that authenticity of art for the artists strongly relates to the traditional manufacturing process. Indeed, the artists alter their art piece's exterior to appeal to tourists while also adhering to the traditional process of manufacture. Rather than connoting a loss of authenticity, they identify the process as an “enlargement” of the culture. The challenge for the artists is to improve understanding of the significance of the manufacturing process among tourists and younger generations of artists. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Re-enactment Events and Tourism: Meaning,Authenticity and Identity

Re-enactment events have began to play a significant role in the calendars of individual attractions, regions or even nations to generate media exposure, develop inbound tourism activity and raise the cultural heritage profile of a locality for community development and/or regeneration purposes. The (re-)presentation of cultural heritage in these forms creates a unique set of interactions between landscapes, local communities, tourists and heritage organisations. In the recent past however, re-enactment events have been subjected to increased debate and criticism as to their educational value and meaning and for their contribution to understandings of cultural heritage in post-modern consumer societies. This paper presents an interdisciplinary review of these debates and draws on small scale research findings to reassess the value of re-enactment events as a means of presenting heritage to audiences. The paper argues that re-enacted historical events achieve a range of purposes and provides examples of evidence from a range of differing perspectives including: public policy and event organisers; re-enactors and academics in the field. It argues that the professional heritage industry, tourists, and re-enactors all contribute to making such events meaningful and as such they represent unique frames through which to understand issues of authenticity and identity in the production and consumption of post-modern cultural heritage attractions.     

Literature,tourism and the city: writing and cultural change

Today national and regional tourism organizations look to sophisticated cultural tourism programmes to enhance the visitor experience for tourists of their particular city. Yet research indicates that a challenge exists in designing and implementing programmes that take full advantage of a city’s historical and emergent literary cultures. In this paper, we offer critical insights into how literary cultural heritage can foster the development of an integrated and dynamic approach and provide the experience sought by local and global tourists. International exemplars are cited together with an analysis of the Australian city of Brisbane that describes itself as a ‘new world city’. The findings of our research show that programmes that harness diverse literary cultures, rather than adhering to a single literary representation, are better equipped to build identity and thus extend cultural tourism potential.     

In search of authenticity in historic cities in transformation: the case of Pingyao,China

This article uses a series of controversies that unfolded in the Little Bighorn Battlefield area of Montana (USA) to critique the guest/host distinction that pervades tourism research. The battlefield where Custer made his legendary last stand is now a popular but contested American heritage site. This article describes how individuals have used the discursive space opened by the conjuncture of local conditions and the site's growing touristic appeal to accomplish objectives marginal to tourism. Many of those have taken shape within and served local, regional, and national identity politics. All have sought to either challenge or defend the status quo. The issues raised and positions defended during the struggle for control of the battle site and story reveal social rifts and ideological differences among, as well as between, guests and hosts. The events and interactions described complicate those categories and blur the distinction between cultural politics and critical public history. The article concludes by calling for an elaboration of the social relations found within the touristic context driven by indigenous saliences rather than scholarly concepts. Only then can the intersection of touristic and non-touristic processes be brought within the analytical purview.     

The effect of the authenticity of the Catholic pilgrimage site on spiritual well-being and quality of life of pilgrims

With the growing interest in spirituality, there has been a corresponding rise in the number of pilgrimages. Modern pilgrims embark on pilgrimages not only for religious purposes but also for their own mental peace and health. To enhance our understanding of this trend we conducted an empirical survey of pilgrims visiting Saenamteo Catholic Martyrs' Shrine, a representative martyrdom site in Korea located on the Seoul Catholic Pilgrimage Route, the first Vatican-designated international pilgrimage site in Asia. The analysis showed that the authenticity of the pilgrimage site impacts both the religious and the existential aspects of spiritual well-being. However, while the existential aspect of spiritual well-being impacted on quality of life, the religious well-being was insignificant. These results indicate that modern pilgrims feel that their happiness and health, rather than their religion directly affects their quality of life.     

Big mountain,big name: globalised relations of risk in Himalayan mountaineering

The paper explores how visitors' perception of a destination's heritage management affects satisfaction with actual visits to the sites and overall perception of the destination's cultural image, using Macao as the case setting. The study will also look at how site visit satisfaction influences the intention to revisit and recommend to others. The findings indicated that perception of the quality of heritage interpretation was significantly associated with destination cultural image and site visit satisfaction. However, associations between site visit satisfaction and intention to revisit and recommend were weak. The findings also led to a discussion on whether the labels ‘cultural’ versus ‘non-cultural’ tourists remain stable over time.     

The relationship between airport image,national identity and passengers delight: A case study of the Malaysian low cost carrier terminal (LCCT)

This study examines the relationship between airport image and passengers delight in the context of a low cost carrier terminal in Malaysia. It also seeks to investigate the moderating effect of the airport's national identity on the predicted relationship between the two main constructs. The research, involving 200 passengers (foreign tourists), employed Hierarchical Moderated Regression as the main method of data analysis. The results revealed that there is a strong positive relationship between the airport image and passengers delight, and that national identity helps strengthen the relationship of the main effect.     

Travel guidebooks and the construction of tourist identity

Tourist identity is an important component of the postmodern identity. This review paper unveils the role of travel guidebooks as identity construction agents at a time when tourism has become an important postmodern phenomenon. The review offers a processual look at roles played by guidebooks in tourist information gathering and formation of cultural tastes and preferences, and portrays the influence of guidebooks on social change. The review points especially to the lack of a broad theoretical perspective in the research of the role of guidebooks in tourist identity formation as well as tourist motivation and consumer behaviour formation. Consequently, the paper suggests that future studies of tourist identity should adopt a socio-historical and cultural interdisciplinary approach focusing on travel guidebooks, using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Based on this proposed framework, the article suggests several further research directions for the study of social construction of tourist identity within a spatio-temporal context.     

Send More Tourists! Stakeholder Perceptions of a Tourism Industry in Late Stage Decline: the Case of the Isle of Man

Qualitative interviews, conducted in the Isle of Man, investigate local perceptions of a tourism industry in late stage decline. Social impacts of decline, including facilities loss, cultural changes and a heightening of perceived peripherality, which together undermine local identity, are pronounced despite successful economic diversification. Tourists are welcomed as they help to affirm the pride residents have in their island, create a more active atmosphere, provide social interaction opportunities and combat negative stereotyping. Overall, findings emphasise the diverse, unique and persistent benefits of tourism in the Isle of Man, despite decline. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reflections on pilgrims' identity,role and interplay with the pilgrimage environment

This article critically analyses the evolving concepts of the identities and roles of pilgrims as well as how their interaction with the pilgrimage environment contributes to a better understanding of the religious journey in the postmodern society. The article concludes that the predominantly theoretical paradigm framing pilgrimage as a tourism phenomenon might be limited and downplays the complexity of the pilgrims' experience nowadays. Alternatively, it proposes to explore the experience in terms of the pilgrims' evolving identity and role based on two universes. The first explores the impact of exposure to different levels of mundane dimensions in everyday life; and the second unveils the possible influences of the Ego–Alter (pilgrim–pilgrimage environment) relationship on pilgrims' identities and roles. The theoretical review and discussion on these reflections develops an alternative experiential spectrum that looks at these identities and roles. This proposed spectrum is constructed by four pilgrim typecasts stretching from the ‘traditional pilgrim’ up to and including the ‘post-postmodern’ one. This spectrum allows a better understanding of the cohabitation of different pilgrim typecasts experiencing the pilgrimage environment simultaneously but with varying levels of religious engagement.