In modern Western ideology, tradition is best understood as the origin of authenticity. Accordingly, commoditization of culture is perceived as deteriorating the true value of traditionality and genuineness of local practices, where payment and (re)productions of cultural practices are clear signs of the divorce between authentic practices and local ways of living. As a consequence, community-based tourism (CBT) has used Western visitors imaginary world of authenticity as a key marketing device with “timely” slogans such as “time stood still” and “The watch will not find you here!” to attract more tourists as well as to add value into local tourism commodity. This study investigates the relationship between authenticity, traditionalism and modernity and its influence on Mae Kampong CBT practices. My study of Mae Kampong community tourism suggests that a value-laden dichotomy between traditional local practices, which considered as a source of authenticity and as such meet in demand by the modernist-oriented tourists, and the commoditized versions that, through the process of being presented to tourists, become increasingly modern, inauthentic, alienated and, therefore, unable to provide what the tourists are asking for.
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