Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The traditional 'Dastarkhan' (table filled with horse meat dishes) allow
visitors to discover the traditional way of cooking within the village and
experience an authentic meal with the host populations. As tourists in-
volved in active participation rather than observation are more likely to
experience a sense of existential authenticity, Ooi (2002) notes that there
is more chance of this happening if cultural mediators absent themselves
and allow tourists to feel they are both part of the local community and ex-
periencing culture bodily. For some of the home stay providers, 'national
traditional food is the best expression of our culture, and the meals we are
preparing for the visitors are still prepared in the same way generation
after generation.' The experience itself is, from MacCannel (1976) point
of view, not 'staged' as the home-stay providers are serving Kazakh meals
according to the traditions of the ancestors.
CRAFTS PURCHASED BY TOURISTS
Hand-made crafts in the forms of 'Kilems' and 'Korpes' (carpets) made of
fur materials are proposed during the 'Kyzylarai' tour for tourists on de-
mand. The crafts are following the embroideries and ornaments from ancient
times but are now mostly made out from cotton instead of camel textile. The
souvenir articles are individually owned by local villagers and members in
the village who sell a choice of hand crafted souvenirs including hand-made
fur carpets, fur products in the form of slippers and mobile phones boxes.
Some of these crafts are seen as reproductions of some ancient traditional
crafts, some shops also sell ethnic tee-shirts and slippers with Kazakhstani
ornaments that can participate in experiential authentic tourism experiences
when they are worn by the visitor's outside of the village or back home.
STAKEHOLDER'S PERCEPTION OF AUTHENTICITY AS
A MARKETING TOOL FOR ECOCULTURAL TOURISM
ATTRACTIONS AND DESTINATIONS
SHAPING KAZAKHSTANI BRAND IDENTITY
We have examined how tourism spaces in this region of central Kazakh-
stan can be constructed by community members, policymakers and tourism
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