The authenticity of experience in Singapore's Chinatown.

• Main Author: Wee, Jean Shi Wan.
• Other Authors: Lim Khek Gee, Francis
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences::Recreation
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/15017
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Tourists have been seen by some academics as pleasure-seeking holidaymakers who are not concerned about the value of authenticity, satisfying themselves with superficial and man-made objects meant to deceive them. However, by separating the toured experience from the toured object, one comes to realize that tourists are concerned with authenticity; but not the authenticity of the toured object. What matters to them is the authenticity of the toured experience and if this experience is authentic, then the “objective authenticity” of the toured object does not matter. This perception of authenticity can also be dependent on previous experiences or expectations that the tourist possesses. Using Chinatown as a case study, this paper shows that though seen by some as inauthentic, it is still able to provide an overall authentic experience due to the different requirements and types of authenticity.