Authenticity And Authenticity

As it is stated in Article 4 of Nara Document on Authenticity “in a world that is increasingly subject to the forces of globalization and homogenization, and in a world in which the search for cultural identity is sometimes pursued through aggressive nationalism and the suppression of minorities, the essential contribution made by the consideration of authenticity in conservation practice is to clarify and illuminate the collective memory of humanity” (Nara Document on Authenticity).

It is not only the authenticity and preservation of collective memory, however, that call upon the conservation and management of heritage monuments and sites, but also the significance and important of heritage for the tourism and the local economy. Heritage monuments and sites are considered as the most valuable asset of a tourism destination, as they attract a large number of tourists, contributing among others to the development of the local economy (Naoi 2003, 45; Chang et al. 2008, 386). Thus, in the field of tourism, authenticity can serve as a means of influencing the subjective experiences of tourists regarding heritage sites, based on tourists’ needs and demands

2000, 8). The idea of conservation and preservation of heritage, which is involved in the concept of management, is associated to the cultural significance of the heritage and its value. The term ‘cultural significance’ is “now commonly used to refer to the collection of the various values associated with a place which together identify why it is important” (Worthing and Bond 2008, 47). The value of the heritage is linked to the concepts of collective memory and contact of people with the past, as discussed