The Cultural Heritage and Authenticity in Tourism section is dedicated to publishing research focused on exploring the complex dimensions of authenticity in cultural and heritage settings.

Led by Dr. Deepak Chhabra from Arizona State University Downtown Phoenix campus, the Cultural Heritage and Authenticity in Tourism section welcomes submissions in various domains of sustainable tourism, which address the critical role of authenticity in the development, management, and marketing of cultural and heritage assets.

Topics considered in the scope of this section include:

alienation and existential authenticity
atmospherics, emotions, and feelings for a place and place attachment
authenticity and ethical production
authenticity and healthy lifestyles and wellbeing
authenticity and lifestyle entrepreneurs
authenticity and moral selving or ethical consumption
challenges associated with building social and cultural capital in 'othered' settings
conservation of authentic places and spaces
consumer behavior and perceived authenticity
cultural distance and demonstration effect in remote settings
digital detoxification and existential authenticity
digitalization of heritage resources and implications for authenticity
economics of authenticity
eco-consciousness and authenticity
ethical positionality of the self in responsible tourism
existential authenticity, optimal flow, and higher sense of consciousness
heritage justice and authenticity
indigenous heritage, tourists, and local gaze
last chance tourism and elevated consciousness
mutual gaze, resistance, and othering of heritage
negotiated expressions of authenticity
nostalgia and societal amnesia
performative aspects of authenticity
power dynamics of authentication processes
power flow and dissonant heritage representations
present-centeredness of heritage and its implications for authenticity
serious leisure and existential authenticity
social and procedural justice and authenticity
third spaces and search for the authentic self
transcendental authenticity

Submissions should provide detailed, in-depth knowledge about the various ways authenticity and authentication processes can be utilized to enrich the planning, development, management, and marketing of cultural and heritage assets, particularly from a leisure and tourism standpoint.

In particular, the section welcomes submissions which support and advance the cultural heritage and authenticity in tourism, sustainable tourism development, management, and marketing of cultural and heritage assets, conservation of authentic places and spaces, and ethical consumption, focusing on SDGs 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and 15 (Life on Land).

This multidisciplinary section is at the forefront of disseminating and communicating cutting-edge scientific knowledge and impactful discoveries in the field of sustainable tourism to researchers, industry, policymakers, and the public worldwide.

UN International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples: Indigenous tourism and cultural revitalization: impacts, opportunities and collaborative approaches