Revisiting authenticity: A Social Realist Approach

MacCannell’s thesis of tourism incorporates two implied inter-linked concepts of authenticity, which we refer to as relationship and object authenticities. Underpinned by the social realist perspective, we argue for authenticity to be conceptualized solely as object authenticity, delinked from other concepts. The concept is developed through critically examining MacCannell’s thesis and Cohen’s development of it; explicating the concept and scrutinizing the various senses of the word authenticity pertaining to it; extending the scope of tourist objects beyond the social-cultural-historical horizon; and explaining how the concept can accommodate a role for construction and discourse. The concept is then situated within the contemporary discursive field in tourism research concerning authenticity, underlining the importance of recognizing the different natures of the various conceptions.