Contextualizing Authenticity: Cultural Tourism in the Trobriand Islands of Papua New Guinea.
Michelle D. MacCarthy, Anthropology, University of Auckland
My proposed research concerns issues of authenticity and the commoditization of culture in the context of the annual Milamala (Yam Harvest) Festival in the Trobriand Islands of Papua New Guinea. The major research question I seek to answer with this project is: How is the tourist exchange contextualized, in terms of authenticity and commoditization, for both hosts and visitors? Associated questions are: To what degree is tourism at Milamala considered, by all parties, authentic and/or commoditized? What does authenticity mean for those involved? How important (if at all) is authenticity for each?
The goal of the project is to explore the relationships and interactions between villagers and visitors in terms of authenticity and commoditization. The primary aim is to add to current debates about the meaning of authenticity and how the commoditization of culture may affect perceptions about authenticity. I will approach this issue in a holistic way by looking at both sides of the tourism interaction (hosts and guests). Applied aims include providing information about cultural tourism and community-based tourism in ways which have been identified as potentially beneficial to the development of sustainable tourism in Papua New Guinea.
