Abstract

This book represents a shifting of emphasis away from the discourse of authenticity to the process of authenticating ethnic tourism. It focuses upon what authentication is, how it works, who is involved, and what the problems are in the process. By using the study of folk villages on Hainan Island, China, the book suggests that authenticity evolves from a static into a more dynamic concept, which can be formulated according to the different stages of development relating to all the stakeholders involved. Authentication is an interactive process in which a balance of forces defines a state of equilibrium. The book uncovers some interesting findings that will significantly contribute to the literature on ethnic tourism in developing areas.

Finally, here is a way to move beyond old debates about authenticity in Tourism Studies, with a pragmatic, useful approach for analyzing “authentification” processes. Xie’s models of stakeholders’ interactions and the paradoxes encountered in ethnic tourism development have worldwide application for academics and stakeholders themselves.

Philip Feifan Xie is an Associate Professor of the Tourism, Leisure and Event Planning program and School Director of Human Movement, Sport and Leisure Studies at Bowling Green State University, Ohio, USA. He holds a PhD in planning from the University of Waterloo, Canada. His areas of specialization include cultural and heritage tourism. He has done extensive research on ethnic tourism in Asia.

The book is well-researched, conceptualized, and written in an approachable and thought-provoking style. Its central aim is to shift away from the discourse of authenticity to the processes of authenticating ethnic tourism. Xie achieves this goal by applying a strong conceptual framework to analyze and evaluate authentication by different stakeholders of ethnic tourism in a specific setting—the ethnic Li minority on Hainan Island, China.