Testing the structural relationships of tourism authenticities

Abstract

The main purpose of this study is to examine the structural relationships of authenticities in the cultural heritage tourism context. This paper deconstructs authenticity into objective, constructive, existential, and postmodern types, and proposes a relationship model for them. The results suggest that objective authenticity positively affects constructive authenticity and existential authenticity, constructive authenticity positively affects existential authenticity, and postmodern authenticity negatively moderates the relationships between objective authenticity and constructive authenticity, and between constructive authenticity and existential authenticity. The main conclusion is that each type of authenticity has limited explanatory power, and a combined application of the different types of authenticity is more conducive to the sustainable development of cultural heritage tourism. The key focus of this study is how to maintain a balance between the types of authenticity. Practical development, management and marketing implications are discussed. • Tests the relationships between the four types of tourism authenticity. • Objective authenticity positively affects constructive and existential authenticity. • Constructive authenticity has a positive effect on existential authenticity. • Postmodern authenticity acts as a negative moderator. • Maintaining a balance can promote the sustainable development of a heritage site.