Examining the relationships among festivalscape,experiences, and identity: evidence from two Taiwanese aboriginal festivals

Despite an increase in the number of studies on aboriginal festivals, little empirical research has examined how the organisers of these festivals influence visitors’ sense of festival identity by promoting identifiable factors in their promotional materials. This study thus examines the relationship between the festivalscape, emotional and authenticity experiences, and festival identity among the attendees of two major aboriginal festivals held in July and December in Taiwan. A total of 901 usable questionnaires were collected. Our empirical results suggest that programme planning and the facilities of the festivalscapes positively and significantly affect the emotional experience at both festivals. Furthermore, the emotional experience and the authenticity experience positively and significantly affect festival identity at both festivals. Our findings contribute to efforts to understand the behaviour of festival attendees. Managerial implications and future research directions for aboriginal festival tourism are presented.     

Diaspora,authenticity and the imagined past

Ancestral tourism in Scotland, a sector of the heritage tourism market sensitive to consumer personalisation, has particular propensities towards process-driven co-created experiences. These experiences occur within existing categories of object-based and existential notions of authenticity alongside an emergent category of the ‘authentically imagined past’. The latter of these modes reveals a complex interplay between professionally endorsed validation of the empirical veracity of objects, documents and places and deeply held, authentically imagined, narratives of ‘home’. These narratives, built up in the Diaspora over centuries, drive new processes towards authenticity in tourism. We conducted 31 interviews across 27 sites throughout Scotland with curators, archivists, and volunteers to explore these notions of authenticity within the ancestral tourism context.     

Tourist loyalty to a local cultural event: The case of Turkmen handicrafts festival

The purpose of this research was to examine a comprehensive model of attendee loyalty at a local festival. More specifically, the research tested a model linking festival authenticity to festival quality, value, satisfaction, trust and loyalty to a given festival. Using convenience sampling method, empirical data was collected at the Turkmen handicrafts festival in Gonbad-e-Kavoos, the most important city in the Turkmen Sahra region, Iran. A sample of 301 domestic tourists who attended the festival was surveyed. Applying structural equation modeling, the findings showed that perceived authenticity influenced perceived quality, value and satisfaction. Perceived quality was found to have the direct effect on perceived value, satisfaction and trust. Perceived value affected satisfaction, trust and loyalty. Satisfaction had the direct effect on loyalty and so did trust.     

The way of generation Y enjoying Jazz festival: a case of the Korea (Jarasum) music festival

ABSTRACT

Research studies about the attributes of music festival experiences and the effect of information technology in music festival help us to understand Millennials. With the purpose of providing more insights about the perception and behavior of young people at a festival, this study aims to investigate how festival attributes and the interactivity of information sources affect festival attendee satisfactions and behavioral intentions in a music festival. The results are expected to assist festival organizers in managing and implementing market-oriented service strategies to improve the quality of festivals and therefore to enhance the attendee satisfactions and their behavioral intentions.     

A netnographic examination of constructive authenticity in Victoria Falls tourist (restaurant) experiences

The concept of constructive authenticity is seen as encapsulating the subjective nature of authenticity evaluations in tourism experiences. However, very few studies discuss the notion in the context of cultural eatertainment. This paper presents a netnographic analysis of tourists’ restaurant reviews and examines how authenticity is projected onto cultural objects. Online tourist reviews of two popular Victoria Falls restaurants, namely Mama Africa Eating House and The Boma - Place of Eating, were downloaded and analysed. Findings demonstrate that tourists are concerned about authenticity of cultural representations in restaurant experiences, although their constructions of what constitutes “real” African culture are extremely fluid. The study also discusses the implications of findings for theory and practice, and offers suggestions for further enquiry.     

Experiencing the real village – a netnographic examination of perceived authenticity in rural tourism consumption

There is an upsurge of research interest regarding authenticity in contemporary tourism consumption as modern tourists have been found to prefer involve in real backstage experiences to participating in pseudo-events and mass congregations. This paper presents a netnographic analysis of tourists’ reviews on village destinations and explores how authenticity is experienced by tourists in a village setting and the indicators pertaining to it. Trip Advisor reviews of three Indian villages were downloaded and analysed. Findings reveal that tourists consider authenticity as a critical factor in rural village experience. The indicators of rural authentic experience and their implications are also highlighted.     

Commercial hospitality in destination experiences: McDonald's and tourists' consumption of space

This paper examines the multiple roles that globalised, branded spaces of hospitality can play in tourists' experiences in destinations. It is argued that previous studies have not considered adequately how such commercial hospitality services and spaces interact with and influence tourists' experiences of places. Drawing on a netnographic analysis of online discussions of McDonald's, this study explores how tourists perceive these hospitality venues, and how they use them to engage with foreign destinations and negotiate the ‘work of tourism’. The data show how tourists (re)construct their identities through reflections on consuming McDonald's. The data also demonstrate that tourists critically evaluate discourses of authenticity and the (in)authenticity of consuming McDonald's. The paper concludes by discussing the implications for the marketing and management of McDonald's and similar branded commercial hospitality venues, the marketing and management of destinations, and it outlines avenues for further research.     

Traditional costume experience at a cultural heritage festival

The experience of traditional costumes on palace grounds is a unique phenomenon of cultural heritage tourism in South Korea. This study investigated the impact of the experience of the traditional Korean costume, Hanbok, on festival satisfaction. Based on the theoretical background, five dimensions of festival experiences were derived: playfulness, escape, placeness, togetherness, and sacredness. The proposed model was empirically tested in a field study with 374 respondents participating in the Royal Culture Festival held at the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Seoul, Korea. The regression analysis showed that all five dimensions of festival experiences had a statistically significant impact on festival satisfaction. This study affirms that the Hanbok experience plays a key moderating role in the relationship between four of the five dimensions of festival experiences and festival satisfaction. Detailed academic and managerial implications are provided.     

The search for the truest of authenticities: Online travel stories and their depiction of the authentic in the platform economy

This paper is an exploration of how authenticity of tourist experiences is shaped in online non-fiction travel writing through an analysis of Passion Passport, an online editorial collective. In a context of wide information access and increased competition in online publication, Passion Passport's stories emphasise personal differentiation as an important signifier of authenticity. However, the particular infrastructure of large online platforms in which Passion Passport's stories are written problematises this search for personal differentiation. Examining the construction and communication of authentic experiences within online travel writing opens up new avenues for tourism research by integrating platform studies.     

Festival attributes and perceptions: A meta-analysis of relationships with satisfaction and loyalty

Festivals provide economic, social and cultural benefits to the communities in which they occur, and contribute to event tourism and destination marketing. This research reports a meta-analysis of the festival literature to evaluate the factors that contribute to festival satisfaction and loyalty. Attributes were classified into six categories: activities, authenticity/uniqueness, concessions, environment, escape and socialization. The analysis revealed that festival activities (program, entertainment, thematic activities) and environment (atmosphere, convenience, facilities) are the most important determinants of satisfaction and loyalty. Two perceptions were evaluated: cost/value and service quality. The analysis revealed that cost/value is important for both satisfaction and loyalty, whereas service quality is relatively unimportant. Satisfaction with the festival is strongly related to loyalty. The findings suggest that festival planners should focus on providing an enjoyable program in a comfortable environment at a reasonable price. This strategy will cultivate repeat attendance and stimulate future visits to the festival destination.     

旅游节庆节目编排质量的探索研究与实例验证

文章以游客体验、利益相关者关系和项目管理为理论支撑,归纳提出了旅游节庆活动节目编排质量的理论模型,并通过调查问卷结构方程模型分析对这一模型进行了实证检验。经修改后,该模型的正确性得到确认,其中,各变量之间的假设关系也都成立。该研究在一定程度上填补了目前对旅游节庆活动节目编排质量理论探讨的空白,并就在节庆活动的规划和组织实践中更好地做好节目编排工作提出了建议。     

Toward an Understanding of Tourists’ Authentic Heritage Experiences: Evidence from Hong Kong

Authenticity in tourism has been a topic of discussion since the 1960s, but the concept is still to be fully developed. This study focuses on tourists’ perceptions of authenticity, and in particular how they evaluate authentic heritage experiences. The appearance and physical settings of attractions were found to be the initial and most important indicators of authentic or inauthentic experiences. Other criteria for assessing the authenticity of heritage experiences include the presence of local culture and customs, constructed elements, commodification, and atmosphere.     

Memorable tourism experiences and their consequences: An interaction ritual (IR) theory approach

Tourism experiences, memories thereof, and their consequences tend to be analysed separately, often focusing on the individual's perspective. This paper introduces Collins' (2004) interaction ritual (IR) theory to develop a micro-sociological interpretation of these phenomena as interconnected elements of IR chains. A longitudinal qualitative study of a multi-cultural festival held in Italy, the Mondiali Antirazzisti (Anti-racist World Cup), is used to show how emotional experiences and patterns of collective action are reproduced by the returning attendees in their home communities through the trans-local appropriation of the event's format. Findings lead to a revised model of IR chains to explain the trans-local dimension of transformational event tourism. The implications for wider application of IR theory within tourism are discussed.     

Rethinking authenticity in tourism experience

This paper aims at a conceptual clarification of the meanings of authenticity in tourist experiences. Three approaches are discussed, objectivism, constructivism, and postmodernism, and the limits of object-related authenticity are also exposed. It is suggested that existential authenticity is an alternative source in tourism, regardless of whether the toured objects are authentic. This concept is further classified into two different dimensions: intra-personal and inter-personal. This demonstrates that existential authenticity can explain a greater variety of tourist experiences, and hence helps enhance the explanatory power of the authenticity-seeking model in tourism.     

节事价值共创的非对称性及影响因素——基于观众和演职人员主体

主体间的价值共创是节事活动创新与发展的重要推力,既有研究指出价值共创机制受参与主体和多种因素的共同影响,但是各因素聚类特征、充要条件及共创路径稳健性之间的影响机理尚存争议。文章基于观众和演职人员价值共创的主体间性,调研了720份有效样本,基于三因素理论和结构模型定量研究节事价值共创参与度、原真性和地方依恋因素的非对称性及影响机理,得到如下结论:(1)因素聚类的非对称性是导致主体内行为策略非对称性的主因;(2)因素聚类的非对称性又是导致价值共创充要条件非对称性的主因;(3)主体间价值共创的充要条件影响共创路径的稳健性;(4)应重视研究价值共创机制中因素聚类、充要条件及共创路径稳健性之间的理论关系。     

Exploring the multi-dimensionality of authenticity in dining experiences using online reviews

The quest for authenticity in dining experiences has become increasingly important. This paper explores authenticity dimensions that are of value to customers in dining experiences, and by that gains a multi-dimensional understanding of authenticity in this context. Following an integrated learning approach using text mining and classification techniques, this paper explores and confirms different dimensions of authenticity by identifying and classifying authenticity judgements in online restaurant reviews. The results suggest that authenticity is a multi-dimensional concept encompassing Authenticity of the Other, Authenticity of the Producer, and Authenticity of the Self as first-level dimensions. Additionally, besides historical and categorical authenticity which have been previously explored in the literature, a new type of authenticity - Deviated Authenticity - emerged as a second-level dimension falling under Authenticity of the Other. This paper enhances existing conceptualisations of authenticity and establishes avenues for exploring the multi-dimensionality of other consumer research concepts using user-generated content.     

Constructing an intangible cultural heritage experiencescape: The case of the Feast of the Drunken Dragon (Macau)

Given the minimal attention that researchers have given to how various stakeholders contribute to festival experiencescapes in destination settings, this paper examines how an intangible cultural heritage (ICH) experiencescape is constructed, focusing on a local- and national-level listed heritage item in Macau. In-depth stakeholder interviews are conducted to identify involvement in the event by government officials, organizers, performers, shop owners and tourists. Organizers and performers were found to play key roles in delivering experiences and the researchers determined that participation by most visitors is spontaneous. Government plays a supporting and coordinating role, with local community representatives engaging actively in operational aspects. The participation by local shop owners in creating the experiencescape is modest. This study contributes to knowledge by proposing an ICH experiencescape framework that conveys a multidimensional “-scape” concept, and shows the progressive formation and refinement of experiences before, during, and after visitation.     

Authenticity in tourism theory and experience. Practically indispensable and theoretically mischievous?

The notion of authenticity arises in tourism research in two ways: In theory, as a contentious, complicated and disputed construct; empirically, as a recurrent theme in accounts of tourist experiences of place and culture and as a quality of tourists' experiences. This duality creates tension over the utility of authenticity in research and theory. We review recent literature on authenticity within tourism scholarship –and more generally– and propose a partial resolution of this tension through demystifying the concept. We do this by highlighting its embeddedness in the activity of both research and tourism. That is, we conclude that authenticity can shed its problematic dualism by understanding how it is used in theorising and the activities of tourism.     

Looking for the Real Me: Locating the Self in Heritage Tourism

This paper considers the relationship between concepts of authenticity and the consumption of heritage attractions. Critiques of the heritage industry have often revolved around the idea that its visitors can only experience a false representation of history. Although valuable in many ways, such an approach does not explore the full complexity of these experiences. This paper seeks to develop an alternative theoretical framework to understand such visits by referring to discussions generated within those fields concerned with touristic experiences, identity and modernity. These argue that the nature of the authenticity at stake in these experiences is not one dimensional but must look to the concept of a subjective authenticity of self, as well as an authenticity that is judged according to objective realities. These concepts are explored in the context of exhibitionary forms and the meanings people invest in collective memories and cultural identities – that is, the strategies of interpretation and mechanisms of display used at heritage attractions.     

What makes Airbnb likeable? Exploring the nexus between service attractiveness,country image,perceived authenticity and experience from a social exchange theory perspective within an emerging economy context

As a result of the growth of the notions of collaborative consumption and sharing economy in the tourism industry, this paper applies social exchange theory to investigate how the Airbnb platform influences the Airbnb experience and authenticity, which might lead consumers to like Airbnb and influence their behavioural patterns. By recruiting 466 tourists who had stayed in Airbnb accommodation in Istanbul, Turkey via travel-related Telegram, Twitter, travel blogs, and Facebook groups, this study revealed the importance of the platform and its features in enhancing service attractiveness, perceived authenticity and experience. Furthermore, the results revealed that visitors’ experiences have an influence on Airbnb likability, where Airbnb likability influences their intention to re-visit and to recommend. Significant implications for tourism planning, management and researchers are highlighted.