Cultural heritage authenticity: A producer view

Abstract The role of the producer (i.e., heritage manager) in shaping the meaning of authenticity is conceptually underdeveloped. We adopt the position that tourists' perceptions of cultural heritage authenticity are greatly influenced by the core attributes of the cultural heritage object and how it is produced. Building on existing research and our analysis, we contend that the Cultural Heritage Object contains three core and overlapping attributes: physical form (Form), links to what is culturally and historically significant (Links), and vitality to actively transmit meaning (Vitality). Using this tripartite conceptualization, we approach Heritage Production Authenticity in terms of the object's Indexical and Iconic cues. In doing so we provide a powerful basis to develop our understanding of heritage production authenticity.