Book Reviews / Tourism Management 33 (2012) 999–1006 1005

Authenticating Ethnic Tourism, P.F. Xie. Channel View Publica-tions, Buffalo (2011). p. 272, ISBN: 978-1-84541-157-2

The centrality of authenticity in heritage tourism continues to beacknowledged in scholarly literature. Nevertheless, the authenticitydiscourse from an ethnic tourism perspective is sparse andtherefore, this book is a timely contribution to the literature onsustainability of ethnic tourism. It examines the complex notion ofauthenticity in the context of ethnic tourism and the author tracesits genesis to the prominent discourses such as Said’s orientalism,Foucault’s panopticism, gazing phenomena, Bhabha’s hybridity andthe postmodern settings. The author delves deeper into the difficultpath of achieving harmony between protection of ethnic heritageand commodification. The core purpose of the book is to examinethis dilemma in the context of ethnic communities in China andprovide a myriad of ways in which a balanced compromise can bereached between conservation of authenticity and its commerciali-zation to meet the mass tourism demand. The author pursues thisestablished debate from a unique perspective. Focus is on authenti-cation rather than authenticity and the former is referred to asa process in which authenticity is constructed and deconstructedover an extended period of time thereby spanning multiple lifecycle stages. He equates ethnic tourism to an ‘ethnic panopticon’where the ethnic community is gazed upon. Amodel offive continuais proposed: economic development and cultural preservation,cultural evolution and museumfication, authenticity and commodi-fication, sustainable ethnic tourism and mass tourism development,and ethnic autonomy and state regulation. Stakeholder attitudes andpreferences are positioned on these continua and differences inviews are recognized.

The book contains eight chapters. Chapter one titled ‘tourismand ethnic peoples’ seeks to highlight the debatable context inwhichauthenticities are claimed and presented. An interesting exampleof cultural display by non-ethnic performers at the 2008 OlympicsOpening Ceremony in Beijing in China is offered to show that specta-tors need a good time and are willing to compromise authenticityand ethnicity. In chapter two, the author narrates an account ofclaimed authenticity of the American icon-Mickey mouse and itsadaptation at theDisney inChinawith a Chinese icon so as to relate tothe local audience. At this juncture, the chapterwould have benefitedfrom an overview of the discursive progress of authenticity inthe recent decades and its increasing application as a branding toolin marketing. In its existing state, the concept of authenticityand its various definitions do not offer a comprehensive view. Thenegotiable value of authenticity from a sustainability perspectivehas been the subject of attention in recent studies (Ryan, 2011) andthis perspective would have been a useful addition to the chapter.An interesting addition is the life cycle model of authenticitywhich highlights the dynamic relationship between ethnic tourismand ethnicity and unfolds the complexities associated with the revi-talization process. The author further argues that ethnic tourisminteractswithin threedifferent dimensions: state power, ethnic iden-tity, and commercial development. Ethnic identity here refers to thevulnerability of cultural change in the process of tourism. The chaptercloses with the conceptual model of authentication as a basis forcomparison of the different positions embraced by the stakeholders.Chapter three examines the authentication process and the role offour stakeholders in the purpose-built folk (by moving them fromtheir original location) villages in Hainan. The author notes that thevillages are an example of misplaced and fake authenticity. Chaptersfour, five, six, and seven examines the role of stakeholders in theauthentication process.

Chapter four examines the nature and involvement by thegovernment at the national, provincial, and local levels. It is foundthat the stance and objectives of government differs at each levelalthough all pursue modernity and commercial-driven goals, top–down policies, and promote preferred identities to present Chinaas one unified community. Sustainable planning and developmentefforts, for the most part, are remiss. The author also unveils theinterplay between authority and power relationships. Chapterfive unpacks the ethnic minority positions on the five continua bypresenting a perspective of mutual gaze (return of the gaze bylocals) where impressions and understanding of tourists guidesand converts ethnic heritage into marketable products. Perfor-mances are commodified to adhere to the tourist need. At thispoint, further deliberations in the context of local gaze and themediated resistance positions such as boundary maintenance,veiled resistance and reciprocity are warranted (Chhabra, 2010;Gillespie, 2006; Joseph & Kavoori, 2001). The author further exam-ines different ethnic communities in China and reports similartraces of tension between the desire for economic benefits andprotection of traditional norms. The traditional fabric is modifiedand made ‘enclavic’ to suit visitor demand. The presentations andcommodification are, for the most part, beyond the control of theethnic communities which often stay marginalized. Also, mostbenefits fail to trickle at the local level in an equitable manner.The author calls for better delegation and empowerment andpromotion of positives such as pride and revival of forgotten norms.

Chapter six examines the role of the tourists in the authenticationprocess. The tourists are promised a peek into the ethnic lives but endup becoming victims of pseudo performances and identities. In otherwords, promoters of ethnic tourism mostly fail to present everydaylife but showpreferred and contrived spectacles. The author surveyedtourists at three ethnic villages and elicited information on their levelof satisfaction with regard to experience gained. Most have verylittle knowledge of the culture and are comfortablewith commodifiedand contrived performances. Genuine host–guest encounters do nothappen. The tourists contribute significantly to the economy but arenot involved in cultural conservation. Here, a brief discourse on analternative formof niche tourism such as ethical or volunteer tourismwould have offered a stimulating ‘what then: alternative solutions’exercise. Not all desire a genuine performance devoid of entertain-ment. At this point, discursive view of existential authenticity wouldhave enhanced the closing reflections.

In chapter seven, two folk villages are examined for the extentto which the ethnic cultures and identity are authenticated bythe tourism businesses. In both cases, marginalization of the ethniclocals and over-commercialization of products are noted. Change ofnames and themes have divorced the village culture from its orig-inal context. A pronounced slant by the tourism businesses towardseconomic development at the cost of cultural preservation is noted.Selected portions of ethnic cultures are orchestrated for touristgaze and spectacle as per demand. Entertainment is given priorityand contrived dance programs and other cultural events are offeredthereby compromising at the outset the very values authenticityadvocates in ethnic tourism.

Chapter eight offers a synopsis and comparative viewof positionstaken by different stakeholders on the continua. The author paintsa rather negative view of how ethnic identities are constructed ordeconstructed by the government in China with a purpose to usethem as economic mechanisms to stimulate economy. Interestingly,the tourists are noted to take a neutral positionwhereas most activerole is performed by the governments in constructing and endorsingethnic identities. Villages are moved from their original location

Book Reviews / Tourism Management 33 (2012) 999–10061006

to make them accessible and place them on the tourist map. Also, ishighlighted the stereotype notion of ethnicity embedded in the colo-nial discourse. The ethnic communities are found to be mute andmarginalized. Tourism businesses focus on profits and promoteselected pieces of ethnic heritage with resonate with the preferredidentity and harmony advocated by the government.

The book lends credence to amuch emphasized aspect of sustain-able planning – stakeholder perceptions and functions juxtaposedwithin the authentication process. Although already familiararguments and areas of concern are highlighted by previous studies,the stakeholder positions in the context of the authentication processmake this body of work most appealing, unique and refreshing.Havingsaid this, thebookwouldbenefit fromreferencetootherstake-holders such as NGOs and non-tourism businesses. There is alsopotential demand by niche market segments, with a genuine interestin ethnic cultures and ethical consumption and as an alternativeto mass tourists (McKercher & du Cros, 2002), needs to be stressed.The life cycleperspective remainsneglected in theconcludingchapter.Nevertheless, Xie makes a sincere effort to unveil the complexitiesassociated with authenticating ethnic tourism and his well-researched case studies based in China provoke further deliberationsin this field of enquiry.

References

Chhabra, D. (2010). How they see us: perceived effects of tourist gaze on the oldorder Amish. Journal of Travel Research, 49(1), 93–105.

Gillespie, A. (2006). Tourist photography and the reverse gaze. Ethos, 34(3),343–366.

Joseph, C., & Kavoori, A. (2001). Mediated resistance: tourism and host community.Annals of Tourism Research, 28, 998–1009.

McKercher, B., & du Cros, H. (2002). Cultural tourism: The partnership betweentourism and cultural heritage management. Binghamtom, NY: Haworth Press.

Ryan, C. (2011). Why do visitors go to museums? The case of 921 EarthquakeMuseum, Wufong, Taichung. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 16(2),209–228.

Deepak ChhabraSchool of Community Resources & Development, Arizona State

University, Phoenix, AZ, United StatesE-mail address: Deepak.Chhabra@asu.edu

* Corresponding author.E-mail address: rnunkoo@uwaterloo.ca (R. Nunkoo)

doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2011.09.001