The Search for The ‘Authentic’ in the Context of Narrative-Inspired Travel

Abstract

The article discusses the concept of authenticity in relation to literary travel and other forms of media-induced travel. Focusing on the power of fictional narrative to draw members of the audience to locations associated with a story, the paper aims to find out what exactly visitors are expecting to find when journeying to locations with literary and media associations. An overview of previous research demonstrates how the concept of authenticity has been understood in connection with travel inspired by literature, films and TV productions. An analysis of recent research, focusing on literary and screen-induced travel, demonstrates that perceptions of what is authentic varies between individual visitors based on their level of dedication to fictional narratives and the meanings they attribute to them. There is a number of ways in which visitors seek for and encounter different types of authenticity at sites with media connections.