Visitors' Evaluation of a Historical District: The Roles of Authenticity and Manipulation

This study investigates how visitors evaluated a historical district that includes both authentic and manipulated elements. Using 13 bipolar scales, 323 visitors to the Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter were canvassed regarding their evaluations of the Quarter. The survey results suggest that perceptions of authenticity are a crucial factor affecting the overall evaluations of historical districts. Differences were observed, however, in the evaluative dimensions by which authenticity was assessed between visitors whose overall evaluations were favourable and those whose overall evaluations were unfavourable. It was also found that a sense of the maintenance of historical districts negatively affected the overall evaluations of visitors whose overall evaluations are unfavourable and that the duration of visitors' trips might be a significant determinant of overall favourability.