Abstract:

Authenticity is a prevalent attribute in tourism experiences. It is anticipated to lead the future of tourism systems as part of an expected effective tourism transformation. In this research, the resilience of tourism enterprises is tested based on the identity of the tourism product being sold. The paper explores the role of authenticity in the promotion of the tourism experience in New Zealand. The paper argues that the understanding of authenticity in tourism futures is going to be critical in a digital environment to attract targeted clients through digital marketing. Drawing from a website content analysis of five local experiences in New Zealand, the results discuss ‘how’ and ‘why’ a local community in New Zealand develops pure storytelling attached to its culture and nature. The paper argues that post-pandemic tourism recovery is only possible through authentic regenerative tourism where authentic experiences do not only claim to be authentic, but they are authentic in relation to the originality and symbolism of tourist activities.

Keywords: authenticity, regenerative tourism, post-covid tourism recovery, marketing, visitor experience.