4,308
Views
83
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Original Articles

Authenticity in ethnic tourism: domestic tourists' perspectives

&
Pages 235-254 | Published online: 27 Jul 2010
 

Abstract

Authenticity is an important concept in ethnic tourism studies as well as a critical issue in tourism practice. This article examines tourists' perceptions and their assessments of ethnic attractions and products, and the levels of satisfaction with their experiences based upon empirical research conducted in 2006 in a well-known tourism destination in China – Xishuangbanna, Yunnan. Of the 600 tourists surveyed, 565 were domestic and 35 international. The majority of Chinese tourists enjoy staged events and are mainly in search of enjoyment and relaxation on their visits. On the other hand, authenticity is a major concern among international tourists. Cultural commodification is, to some extent, acceptable for tourists but over-commercialized cultural shows cause discontent among visitors and devalue local traditions. It is concluded that diverse and high quality ethnic products should be developed to suit both domestic and international markets. Especially, minority-made products and community-based businesses should be facilitated in order to give tourists an authentic experience and improve the economic gains for local communities.

Log in via your institution

Log in to Taylor & Francis Online

PDF download + Online access

  • 48 hours access to article PDF & online version
  • Article PDF can be downloaded
  • Article PDF can be printed
USD 53.00 Add to cart

Issue Purchase

  • 30 days online access to complete issue
  • Article PDFs can be downloaded
  • Article PDFs can be printed
USD 273.00 Add to cart

* Local tax will be added as applicable

Related Research

People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read.

Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine.

Cited by lists all citing articles based on Crossref citations.
Articles with the Crossref icon will open in a new tab.