Authentication and perceived authenticity: revisiting authenticity in cultural heritage tourism

Research on authenticity in cultural heritage tourism remains divided across epistemological traditions and stakeholder perspectives, lacking an integrated analytical structure. Empirical research has largely prioritised tourists’ outcome-based authenticity perceptions, with comparatively limited attention paid to how authenticity is co-constructed and negotiated among multiple stakeholders. The results indicate that authenticity studies remain predominantly quantitative and tourist-focused, while host authenticity is less frequently operationalised and primarily co-examined with multiple stakeholders. Empirical evidence is geographically concentrated in Asia, reflecting contextual clustering within specific heritage destinations and socio-political dimensions. A unified conceptualisation of authenticity has been established by the existing epistemological fragmentation towards broader empirical utilisation with two key constructs extracted: authentication and perceived authenticity. Building on the epistemological foundation, an integrated knowledge map advances a more comprehensive authenticity understanding by mapping out path relations among variables revolving around process-oriented authentication (power relations and commodification), hosts’ perceived authenticity (cultural attitudes, empowerment, support, and host–guest interaction), and tourists’ perceived authenticity (motivation, satisfaction, and loyalty) to elucidate the power dynamics of multiple stakeholders and the holistic operation mechanism of authenticity in cultural heritage tourism. This study provides a solid foundation for future research on profound authenticity issues and provides managerial implications for policymakers and practitioners.