A consumer-based model of authenticity: An oxymoron or the foundation of cultural heritage marketing?

Abstract

This study examines the relevance and conceptualizations of the authenticity concept in cultural tourism from the managerial standpoint. We propose a consumer-based model in which authenticity is a key mediating construct between cultural motivation and loyalty. The model is empirically examined by means of a survey conducted on 25 Romanesque heritage sites in four European countries. A confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were performed using LISREL 8.72. The results indicate that cultural motivation is an important antecedent of both object-based and existential authenticity, which in turn influence tourist loyalty. Theoretical, managerial and marketing implications of authenticity are discussed, showing that the consumer-based perspective can transcend some 'irreconcilable tensions' related to this concept.

Introduction

Authenticity is acknowledged as a universal value and an essential driving force that motivates tourists to travel to distant places and times (Cohen, 1988, MacCannell, 1973, Naoi, 2004). The quest for authentic experiences is considered one of the key trends in tourism. Authenticity is accordingly crucially important for tourism, especially heritage tourism (Apostolakis, 2003, Tourism Trends for Europe, 2006, Yeoman et al., 2007). Because of that, the concept of authenticity is of particular interest in the marketing of cultural heritage sites. It is helpful for understanding tourist motivation and behavior as well as strategic and tactical implications concerning tourist destination management.

Despite its clear importance authenticity is a problematic and insufficiently explored concept, which hinders its practical application (Wang, 1999). In terms of the nature and implications of this concept, various approaches and authors not only provide different views, but seemingly contradictory positions. These are particularly noticeable when sociological and business/marketing views are compared. The fragmentation of the authenticity construct is reflected in the various descriptions, interpretations and conceptualizations. Authenticity is namely conceived as a value (Olsen, 2002), a motivational force (Cohen, 1988, Grayson and Martinec, 2004, Leigh et al., 2006, MacCannell, 1973, Naoi, 2004), a ‘claim’ (Peterson, 2005), a perception (Cohen, 1988), and the choice people make (Steiner & Reisinger, 2006). Various meanings and types of authenticity (e.g. as attribute of objects, an existential experience of ‘true self’) are in addition imposed by different research traditions (see Wang, 1999 and Reisinger & Steiner, 2006). It is thus no surprise that Reisinger and Steiner (2006) conclude that the different views on (object) authenticity are conflicting and irreconcilable. What is surprising is their suggestion that because of its problematic nature scholars should abandon the concept altogether. Here, we concur with a response to this suggestion whereby Belhassen and Caton (2006) argue that authenticity is indeed alive in the minds of tourists and tourism managers and plays a significant function and so it is up to scholars to study the concept. What is more, we argue that different notion(s) and aspects of authenticity should not be avoided but exposed and studied even more thoroughly in order to better understand and possibly utilize them.

The key issue from the managerial standpoint is namely not its ultimate conceptual resolution, but primarily the question of how various notions and meanings can be constructively applied. Unfortunately, as established by Franklin and Crang (2001), traditional studies of tourism often offer overly critical and dysfunctional approaches to studying contemporary phenomena in tourism. In this respect, our intention is to be relevant primarily for management and marketing purposes. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it is an attempt to examine, measure and statistically model the relationships between the concept of perceived authenticity and its antecedents and consequences – in our case, cultural motivation and customer loyalty, which are often used in models of consumer behavior and have been recently extensively studied in tourism (e.g. Chi and Qu, 2008, Gallarza and Gil Saura, 2006, Yoon and Uysal, 2005).

Second, through a consideration and analysis of various dilemmas that characterize the conceptualization of authenticity and its relationships with several related concepts the paper aims to probe beyond immediate tactical actions. Instead, it seeks to provide managerial implications and inspire deliberations that are strategically relevant. In addition the paper addresses several specific conceptual questions related to the nature of authenticity and related concepts. One such question is whether the key types of authenticity (object-based and existential authenticity) are mutually related or independent constructs, as some authors suggest (Reisinger and Steiner, 2006, Wang, 1999). Another one is whether authenticity is primarily the driver (motive) or the outcome (experience, evaluative judgment) of tourist behavior. Regarding the nature of authenticity, a further interesting question is if the tourist's perception of authenticity is cognitively- or emotionally-based. In addition, an important question is whether authenticity can be validly measured as a latent psychological construct since the majority of studies assesses this concept either through an exploratory approach (i.e. they qualitatively describe it; Goulding, 2000, Leigh et al., 2006, Kim and Jamal, 2007, McIntosh, 2004) or measure it directly (e.g. by means of direct, bipolar ‘authentic-inauthentic’ scales; Chhabra et al., 2003, Waitt, 2000, Naoi, 2004, Waller and Lea, 1999).

In line with its purpose, the paper first exposes the various tensions and types of the authenticity concept in traditional and sociological tourism literature and discusses its managerial relevance in general terms. Next, its implications are discussed from a marketing management point of view and a consumer-based model of authenticity is proposed. In the third part, the methodology and results of the empirical examination of the structural equation modeling are presented, followed by a discussion, managerial implications and future research suggestions.