From Authentic to Hyper-Authentic

The influence of

technology and social media

on tourism.

The Authentic Tourism Experience?

➢ An evolution from the ‘EXPERIENCE ECONOMY’

➢ A reaction in part to perceived artificiality of society

➢ Part of the zeitgeist – the age of reality TV and social

media

➢ But what is genuinely Authentic?

6 Decades of Change

1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s

Products, activities, places and things…

Service differentiation & indulgences

Products, emotions and adventures

Learning & authenticity

Experiences:Meaning and purpose

Experiences: local, authentic andpersonally enriching

- Pre-packagedholiday rewards for hard work

- Hand written tickets- Travel agents

- Holiday as reward/an opportunity for indulging passions

- Typed tickets- Telex bookings

- Holiday as escapist active adventure

- Introduction of Global Distribution Systems

- Fax bookings

- Holiday as opportunity to learn and be engaged

- Emerging sustainability considerations

- Tailoring of holiday packages through travel agents

- Early stage internet bookings

- Loyalty programs

- Increased demand for special interest needs/rarity

- Seeking authenticity & sceptical of over marketing

- Emergingenvironmental & social consciousness

- Consumers booking directly online

- E-ticketing and check in

- Emerging use of social media

- Almost half of all online bookings are via mobile devices (65% for hotels)

- Social media used for pre-travel research

- Demand for local products and experiences

- Sharing of experience via Social Media

- Enrichment of personal brand

- “Life validation”- Millennials = travel is

not a luxury but a necessity!

➢ Experiences

➢ Local immersion

➢ Authenticity

➢ Reconnection (with family, nature

etc)

➢ Self-enrichment (personal brand

validation)

➢ Self-education

➢NOT to be a tourist!

What do visitors say they want?

Problems with Authenticity?

➢ Must have connectivity

➢ And WIFI

➢ And Great Coffee

➢ Who defines or evaluates authenticity?

➢ Can any experience be genuinely

authentic?

➢ Experience versus expectations…

Technology and the Social Media Revolution

➢ The Statistics!

➢ 1 Billion + Instagram Users

➢ 400 million daily Insta Stories

➢ 2.53 Billion Smartphones

➢ 2.27 Billion Facebook Users

➢ Average of 1.31 hours/day on

Social Media

➢ 456 million monthly Trip Advisor

visitors

Integration into the experience

The Social Media Effect

The Reality

Personal Branding

The Experience – through the lens

➢ What visitors want as opposed to what

they say that they want

➢ Experience through the filter of social media

➢ A tacit agreement between destination and

traveler

➢ A deliberate exaggeration of key

characteristics and features of a destination

➢ Increasingly personal experiences shared in

real time to impress and promote self image

Authentic or ‘Hyper-Authentic’?

➢ Apply the key elements of Authenticity – these still

matter (a lot)

➢ Accept that expectations are exceedingly high

➢ Use imagery to compete in the age of Instagram

➢ Make the visitor a part of the experience

➢ Provide more to DO with those phones!

➢ Local stories, locals guidance – Use your VIC

➢ A complete digital content strategy

➢ Be prepared to experiment and try new

approaches…

➢ Ongoing research

Implications for Destinations