Enter stage right: best practices in narrative staging of authenticity in literary tourism

Abstract

ABSTRACT The paper addresses two current issues in tourism. First, it explores recent developments in the particular sector of literary tourism, second, it investigates the relevance of authenticity for managers of literary destinations. Whilst tourism scholarship has abundantly identified authenticity as a key factor in the evaluation of the literary tourist experience, most academic approaches conceptualise authenticity from the visitor point of view. This paper explores concrete tools for practitioners to implement authenticity in literary destinations. It adopts the analytical lens of authenticity production by showing that authenticity can be staged through narrative processes. The methodology is grounded on a qualitative research design that encompasses empirical data from 32 literary sites in Germany and France. The results allow for the modelisation of authenticity issues as Authenticity Staging Matrix (ASM), aggregating immaterial and material forms of narrative staging through a diversity of texts, media, and communicative situations. The model provides valuable managerial cues for the planning and implementation of authenticity in literary destination marketing. Thus, the study augments extant scholarship on literary tourism and authenticity conceptualisations by supplementing practical tools to destination managers to satisfy the growing demand for authentic literary tourist experiences.