The Consumption of Cultural Experiences in City Tourism

Whilst considerable attention has been given to the role of cultural tourism in city development and the ‘gentrification’ of inner city areas, there has been little research into the experiences of cultural tourists. Past research shows that their experience is conceptualised as a ‘pre-programmed’ product made especially for mass consumption. It is often assumed that the commoditization of urban tourism results in ‘standardised’ city environments, loss of culture and traditions, loss of place distinctiveness and subsequent loss of ‘authenticity’. According to this line of reasoning, cultural tourists consume ‘specimens of the artificial’ which are mass produced, predictable,standardised and superficial. By implication the commoditization of cultural tourism destroys the ‘authenticity’ of the traveller’s experience (see Featherstone, 1991, Sheller and Urry, 2004). This logic raises questions about the hermeneutic problem entailed in any conceptualisation of ‘authenticity’ The central focus of this theoretical paper is the debate concerning the consumption oftourists’ cultural experiences within the context of city tourism. Issues associated with the various dimensions of ‘authenticity’ that inform cultural tourism studies are critically assessed. Finally, by way of conclusion the paper offers a fresh perspective for understanding the consumption of urban cultural experiences.