Lewis and Clark and the<i>Corps of Discovery</i>: Re‐enactment Event Tourism as Authentic Heritage Travel

Abstract

Heritage tourism has evolved to include study of sub-segments who travel to attend and participate in historical event re-enactments. In the US, the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark expedition to the Pacific coast and back again is being commemorated from its point of departure to its end. This paper is an exploratory study of a sample of re-enactment tourists who attended three of the Lewis and Clark events. The role that re-enactment tourism plays in heritage tourism is examined and preliminary findings on perceptions of nostalgia and authenticity of the re-enactment products and events are presented. Preliminary managerial benefits and suggestions for host communities are provided.