The Concept of Authenticity: Implications for Interpretation

Abstract

Although the concept of authenticity has received considerable attention in tourism literature, it has received little in interpretation literature despite its importance to practitioners and administrators involved in planning, marketing, and managing interpretive sites. Interpreters may seek to provide authentic experiences at their sites regardless of whether they are interpreting natural resources or cultural heritage. However, many interpreters may not realize that what constitutes an authentic experience for visitors is difficult to define and that authenticity is a complex concept. A framework showing three key types of authenticity—the objective, the constructed, and the personal—can be applied to interpretive sites. Doing so can help interpretation researchers and practitioners understand the indicators of authentic experiences and to provide authentic interpretive experiences to visitors. In exploring the varying meanings of authenticity for interpretation, we also expand prior analyses of such variation to little-examined issues such as birding, hiking, or other outdoor recreation.