Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
INTRODUCTION
The question of authenticity is central to much literature on cultural heri-
tage and tourism development (Chhabra, 2005; Cohen, 1988; Kolar and
Zabkar, 2010; Reisinger and Steiner, 2006; Wang, 2000). As tourism grows
the authentic undergoes change via a process of commodification evolv-
ing into new forms of cultural expression that engage both the tourist and
the local community in a newly globalized form of culture (Prideaux and
Timothy, 2008). The attribute 'authentic' “is usually given to something
that is genuine and original, that can be certified by evidence, or remains
true to a tradition” (Smith and Duffy, 2003, p. 14). Whereas the tourism in-
dustry tends to provide its own definitions of the traditional or typical, it is
thus important to assess various stakeholders' perceptions of authenticity
of ecocultural tourism practices as they tend to be negotiated through what
is locally perceived as authentic and what tourists and developers view as
key travel experiences (Smith and Duffy, 2003).
One of the issues at stake for visitors when they visit culturally and en-
vironmentally remote regions is how the concept of authenticity is under-
stood and applied to local tourism practices. Wallace and Russell (2004, p.
236) argue that “eco-cultural tourism reflects present-day practice, but also
acts as a model for how cultural and eco-tourism could be employed by
local people to build an empowered, sustainable future in similar settings.”
What tourists usually see is the performative aspect of local cultures - a
'performed authenticity' created, staged and carried out for external con-
sumption (MacCannell, 1976). It is important therefore to place this 'au-
thenticity' in the context of how and why the tourism industry defines and
presents its version of the genuinely local in both ecological and cultural
aspects of tourism experience (Jamal and Hill, 2002, 2004).
As heritage is inherently a contested phenomenon (Keir, 2010), espe-
cially when communities are comprised of multiple ethnic groups, belief
systems, cultures and social norms, the concept of authenticity applied to
Kazakhstani cultural heritage has become particularly relevant to the spe-
cialists and developers of cultural and sustainable tourism in the country.
Insofar, the country of Kazakhstan is not a well known tourism destina-
tion, either globally or within Central Asia. Although the number of in-
bound tourists is relatively small (The Agency of Statistics of the Republic
of Kazakhstan, 2012), the country possesses numerous ecocultural tour-
ism attractions based on its past Soviet times, nomadic culture and a vari-
ety of unique landscapes. The reconstitution of national traditions and the
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