Response to Yeoman et al: The fakery of 'The authentic tourist'

Authenticity is a concept originating in the condition of modernity. Inauthenticity or fakery is identified essentially as an attempt to replicate meaning. Yet replication is not intrinsically bad; what is important is the different expriential depth between the original and the replication. Inauthenticity emerges out of the very attempt to retain or regain authenticity. It is more problematic when there is a deliberate attempt to deceive. Authenticity is derived from the property of connectedness of the individual to the perceived, everyday world and environment, the processes that created it and the consequences of one's engagement with it. There is no problem in searching for authenticity but in the belief that'the authentic tourist' can be satisfied with a holiday package. Arguably, the most authentic tourists of all may be those wanting to visit friends and relations. A number of trends are then identified as far more significant for tourism flows and consumption than for authenticity. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.