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  Material and immaterial Authenticity

"Authentic" in tourism seems to describe to very different ideas:

  "Material Authenticity" is concerned with tangible things, which are considered authentic when they have a certain age, are stemming from the region under consideration, are a part of the "heritage"
 (an old cannon, a wooden spoon made in the traditional way by aborigines etc.)
 Benchmarks for this quality are antiquity, non-commoditisation, absense of "modern" influences
  How "old" things have to be to be "authentic" is however open for discussion/manipulation.

Examples:

The buffalo-hunting based economy and way of living of North American Indians which only started after the introduction of horses to North America by the Spanish - authentic or not?

The palmtrees on the shores of the Mediterranean sea which were introduced only from America in the 20th c. - authentic or not?
 

   "Immaterial Authenticity" is concerned with intangible experiences, with the perception of the society and culture of a destination, a meal, etc. that appear to be pre-modern or traditional.
(a fiesta, old men sitting in the kafeneion on a greek island etc.)
 Benchmarks for this quality are again non-commoditisation and the absense of "modern" influences
  How "traditional" customs have to be to be "authentic" is however open for discussion/manipulation.

Examples:

The re-introduction of Alphorn-playing in Switzerland during the 20th c. - authentic or not?

Spaghetti Bolognese using noodles (introduced from China) and tomatoes (introduced from America) - authentic Italian cuisine or not?

 Contact: wolfgang.arlt@fh-stralsund.de  Office: 1/132, Tel. (03831) 45 6961