Understanding the Role of Authenticity in the Experience of Place at Rural and Heritage Tourism Sites: A Multiple Case Study Analysis

With the increasing visitors’ attention to the authenticity of heritage and tourism practices when they visit destinations, the question of authenticity in the experience of place becomes significant for the stakeholders involved in the management and development of tourism. This presentation will offer some directions in which to comprehend the role authenticity plays in the tourism experience and the practices of rural and heritage sites. It will delve into a number of case studies including tourism sites in Central Asia, New Zealand and Scotland. Questions related to the commercialisation of culture for eco-cultural tourism development will be firstly addressed, followed by an evaluation of historical narratives, conservation, economic and educational priorities in the case of Gulag heritage as portrayed and interpreted in Kazakhstani museums for local and international visitation. Managerial implications of authenticity for the development and framing of the sense of place and the tourism and event experience will be discussed