Project Description
“How does perceived authenticity of tourists meet perceived authenticity of service providers on marketing content? Authenticity and marketing are both topics of importance within the tourism industry. Authenticity is a concept which is still being discussed by scholars due to the complexity and ambiguity of defining and conceptualizing it. Marketing is also a concept which is complex to conceptualize due to the complexity to define it and the changes in trends, lifestyles, technologies, etc., of consumers and service providers. In the tourism research field, these two concepts have already been related to one another to have a better understanding of how authenticity is used or perceived on marketing content. When relating these two concepts, the perspective of tourists or service providers is often taken. There is however not often been research done on comparing how tourists perceive authenticity in marketing content made by service providers. In order to start the discussion, this study focusses on a small area of the Belgian Ardennes named La Vallée de l’Ourthe et de l’Aisne. This has been done through the use of interviews made with tourists and service providers at the destination, and an additional interview with the tourism promotion office of the region. This qualitative study is relevant due to its contribution to the theoretical conceptualization of the concept of authenticity and its use in marketing content. It is also relevant due to its contribution to the development of the concept of authenticity, especially in marketing content for the Belgian Ardennes.”
Author: S.M. Geradin (2018)