Narrative Construction of Authenticity in Pilgrimage Touring

Abstract

This paper, presented at the 2001 annual meeting of the American Sociological Association, analyses the shift from constructivist to existentialist conceptions of authenticity in tourism. Utilizing ethnographic data from the evaluation of Taglit/birthright israel, the author argues that a shared narrative linking observer and observed can resolve the dichotomy between constructivist and existentialist notions of authenticity.