Tales of uniqueness : Value creation in rural tourism development

The aim of this dissertation is to analyse value creation in a rural tourism development project. In order to analyse value creation, I investigate how participants of a rural tourism development project define and understand uniqueness of that particular rural area as a lever to developing a touristic offer. The empirical research question guiding this work is: How do participants of a rural tourism development project apply ideas about uniqueness of the rural area as a means to develop a touristic offer? I interpret the participants’ ideas of uniqueness with theoretical notions of authenticity - object related, experience related, and host related authenticity - as my analytical tool. I define that different notions of authenticity are embraced by the wider notion of valuation proposition. Valuation propositions are propositions about a potential value of a tangible or intangible object; and it is people who make valuation propositions with a specific purpose in mind. The analytical research question of this dissertation is: How can value creation in a rural tourism development project be understood through notions of authenticity and valuation propositions? This dissertation contributes to the literature on authenticity in tourism studies by viewing the different notions of authenticity as different and compatible expressions of value. I do not pose the question whether a touristic offer is essentially authentic, but I address how different notions of authenticity together are activated for assigning value to a touristic offer. This study also highlights the process of value creation in a project for rural tourism development, offering insights into the opportunities and challenges that arise when authenticity is activated for the purpose of rural tourism development