The word ‘authentic’ is used quite widely in the travel and tourism industry - from eating ‘authentic’ food to participating in ‘authentic’ cultural activities, authentic experiences are promoted widely. But what does authentic travel actually mean?
The Upcoming Trend of Authentic Travel
The promotion of such experiences is an answer to the demand. According to the Sustainable Travel Research Report (2023) of booking.com 75% of survey respondents "seek authentic experiences that are representative of local culture." At the same time 40% does not know where to find such authentic experiences that will ensure they give back to the local community. The latter statistic is hardly surprising as with such wide usage of the term 'authenticity' comes a lot of confusion. What does it mean to travel authentically?
The Travel Industry's Definition of Authentic Travel
Usually, the concept of authentic travel refers a type of traditional or local experience. Often the assumption that comes with such an experience is also to be away from tourists. At the same time there are plenty of tourism and travel agencies that offer such ‘authentic experiences’ for many people at the same time. So then… is authentic travel just a new buzzword to promote tourist experiences? Or has 'authenticity' become a commodity, as Joanna Haugen suggests?
Although some agencies and people are definitely overusing (and misusing) the word 'authentic' in the context of travel experiences, I do not think we should dismiss the concept altogether. We merely have to be critical about how we use it and how we understand it.
What Authentic Travel Actually Means (according to me)
For me ‘authentic travel’ has two meanings. The first is the more common understanding of authentic as referring to a type of sustainable tourism in which travellers immerse themselves in a culture and connect with the local population of a particular place. This can mean going off-the-beaten track, but it does not have to be. After all we should realise that we live in a world in which the Travel & Tourism industry contributes to 9.1% of the global GDP. This means it is rather unlikely that you will travel a path that has never been travelled before.
Another aspect that comes with immersing yourself in a culture is what I refer to as slow travel. By staying in places for a longer time, without too many plans, and without a bucket list to cross off you will have space to better connect with a place and its people. Give yourself time to stroll around a market without a purpose and engage in conversations with locals as you sit in the park. By slow travelling, you will likely find that immersing yourself also means eating at not-so-pretty restaurants or market stands. After all, people all over the world engage in similar daily life activities, albeit in different forms.
The second meaning of authentic travel is my personal interpretation of the word. Etymologically, the word ‘authenticity’ is made up out of the Greek ‘autos’ meaning ‘self’ and ‘hentes’ meaning ‘doer, being’. Taken together, the Greek ‘authentikos’ or Latin ‘authenticus’ then means something like ‘to be true to oneself; to be original, genuine’.
For me, this translates to authentic travel being a way of travelling in accordance with your self. What is your intention when you travel? What do you hope to learn or see or experience? And… can you be aware of how you relate to the people you meet, and the culture you immerse yourself in, and where you might have prejudices or false ideas?
In the double understanding of authentic travel as I described just now, authentic travel is both a way of learning to understand another person or culture, as well as coming to understand who you are and where you come from. In this sense, authentic travel is a critical, self-aware and active way of travelling in which you seek connection with the places and people you visit, as well as with yourself.
The Authentic Travel Mindset
This also means that authentic travelling requires an open mindset and a willingless to learn. Prejudices and false ideas, for example, live within the majority of travellers. We live in a world that is very much in the aftermath of 'progressive civilisation theories' that (problematically) hold that some cultures are 'traditional' and more behind on cultures that are 'modern'.
Although these theories are accepted as problematic in academia, their influence lives forth in racist and stereotypical representations of cultures and peoples. And those representations have creeped into the unconsciousness of many people (especially) living in Europe and the United States. So remember that being wrong is okay as long as you recognise it and are willing to open your mind to new, more accurate perspectives.
Read more about my own reflections on solo traveling Mexico as a female and the prejudices I found within myself, and overcame.
I hope this blogpost gave you some clarity or new insights on what authentic travel means and hopefully it has inspired you to travel authentically - or continue to do so - as well.
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