Authenticity

Abstract

The notion of authenticity crops up in the study of leisure, recreation, and tourism in three ways. First, some writers assume that a search for authentic EXPERIENCES is a fundamental human trait. From this perspective, seeking out authentic experiences is a key MOTIVATION underpinning the BEHAVIOUR of tourists and recreationists, albeit one that can be easily frustrated in the contemporary world where leisure, recreation, and tourism can be seen as unfulfilling if the inherent experiences are inauthentic. Second, authenticity is at the centre of very general and somewhat abstract theories of why leisure, recreation, and tourism have become hallmarks of contemporary society, These accounts see the search for authenticity in leisure, recreation, and tourism as an antidote to the meaninglessness of much present-day existence. As these writings adopt a 'big-picture' perspective that attempts to go beyond the here-and-now so as to highlight fundamental changes in the structure of society, they can be thought of as 'metasociological'. Third, a search for authenticity in experiences is seen as one of the key processes at work in what has become recognized as alternative tourism.