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man existence finds it sense only in the affirmation of him, its true nature
and its autonomy (Taylor, 1991).
MacLeod (2006, p. 187) details that “tourists involved in active par-
ticipation rather than observation are more likely to experience a sense of
existential authenticity” and if tourists can feel they are both part of the
local community and experiencing culture themselves” (Ooi, 2002). Tour-
ism activities that involve a close association with the countryside such
as camping, hiking or cycling are therefore popular because they allow
individuals to test themselves and rediscover their essential selves. These
tourists are seeking authenticity within themselves rather than in toured
places or objects. As Wang (1999, p. 364) states, “tourists are not merely
searching for authenticity of the 'Other.' They also search for an authentic-
ity of, and between, themselves. The toured objects can be just a means
or medium by which tourists are called together, and then an authentic
interpersonal relationship between them can be experienced subsequent-
ly.” The experience of drinking tea in a yurt camp and embarking in an
ecocultural tour in Central Kazakhstan allows tourists to test themselves
and rediscover their essential selves. Meanwhile, tourists have a sense of
existential authenticity by sharing this experience with the seminomadic
livestock breeding communities (Schreiber, 2008).
ECOCULTURAL TOURISM, COUNTRY BRANDING AND SENSE
OF PLACE IN KAZAKHSTAN
Ecocultural tourism can be presented as a concept in which ecological
and cultural aspects of a landscape are combined to create experiences
for tourists. Hobsbawn and Ranger (1983) and MacCannell (1992) con-
sider that the increasing nostalgia for the past felt primarily by citizens
of developed countries is linked to the need to flee modernity and get
back to a simpler way of life in the countryside. In removing oneself far
from any crowded place, the ecotourist yearns for a specialized, exclusive
experience (Wallace & Russell, 2004). By making a connection between
cultural tourism and ecotourism in this way, Wallace and Russell further
argue that combining these two types of tourism allow indigenous people
for empowerment of their tourism practices and define accordingly their
'sense of place.'
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