Souvenir sellers and perceptions of authenticity – The retailers of Hội An, Vietnam (original) (raw)
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Meanings of Tourist Souvenirs: From the Holiday Experience to Everyday Life
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Even though research on tourist souvenirs is quite extensive, it fails to provide a holistic and in-depth perspective on their meanings and their evolution in time and space. Through a symbolic interactionist perspective, the current research aims at filling this gap. We conducted a longitudinal study combining interviews, projective techniques, and observations. Our findings provide a holistic and dynamic approach to tourist souvenirs’ meanings by emphasizing their temporal and spatial evolution through three processes. First, we suggest that decontextualization effects and the negative perceptions of some souvenirs may prevent them from entering home. Second, we consider the spatiality of souvenirs within different home areas depending on the meanings they hold for their owners. We also show that the souvenirs’ meaningfulness can also be reactivated over time. Third, we emphasize ways meaningless souvenirs may leave the home sphere. Finally, we discuss managerial suggestions and p...
Souvenir sellers and perceptions of authenticity e The retailers of Hội An, Vietnam
Authenticity has long been a theme within the tourism literature, but relatively little has been written about the attitudes of souvenir retailers. This paper, based on a combination of case study and micro-ethnographic approaches, reports findings derived from interviews with 25 souvenir retailers in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Hoi An, Vietnam. It uses a thematic and content analysis aided by the use of textual analysis software to identify dichotomous yet holistic perceptions on the part of the retailers. They seek to sell souvenirs perceived as authentic of Hoi An, yet source both nationally and locally. The items are thus representative of Hoi An and Vietnam, and these attitudes can be justified by an appeal to the past trading heritage of the ancient city. The retailers also perceive tourists as potential 'prosumers' who create their own experiential authenticity.
Values of souvenirs as commodities
Although souvenirs have received increased research interest in tourism studies, sociological research in this field still remains limited. This exploratory study aspires to overcome past research negligence on the values identified in social theory for commodities, such as Marx’s use and exchange values and Baudrillard’s sign-value, as well as introducing an additional one, the spiritual-value. By using a sample of twenty respondents in Veria, a small city in Northern Greece, this study attempts to interpret souvenirs as commodities with certain values and to identify the functions that tourists expect to perceive when purchasing them. Despite its limitations, this study provided a theoretical understanding of the sociological aspects of souvenirs’ consumption in relation to the four values.
SOUVENIRS IN TOURISM STUDIES: A BIBLIOMETRIC RETROSPECTIVE AND FUTURE RESEARCH AGENDA
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Purpose-Souvenir research in tourism research has steadily increased, but to date no metric analysis has been published that assesses the main issues addressed to guide and support new research. Design-This study fills this gap through an updated bibliometric review of 282 articles identified in the SCOPUS/WOS databases and an analysis of the future research agenda. Methodology-The PRISMA method and VoSViewer software for a systematic review was applied. Approach-This process allowed research areas identification identify research and it determined the relationships between them, drawing the paths that this scientific subject has taken. Findings-Results reveal a cross-citation-based cluster formation suggesting six main research themes: authenticity; shopping; symbolic value; satisfaction with shopping/ purchase; destination image; tourist experience. Additionally, a 'future research agenda' is proposed, organized into five general research pillars on the topic: Food consumption trends, Impacts, Souvenir consumption and value in context, Destination experience, and Technology impact. Originality of the research-Findings are expected to help researchers in the field to build their contributions on existing relevant academic advances, thereby better integrating their efforts into a theory of souvenir research that is still forming and consolidating, including through the Providing promising topics and avenues for future research.
Archives of Business Research 8(9):1-10, 2020
Balermpas Αth., Manola M. 2020. “Souvenirs: Their Role In Tourism Industry, Cultural Heritage And Their Utilization In Experiential Teaching”. Archives of Business Research, 8(9):1-10. This article presents research that examines souvenirs and their role in tourism and consequentially in a country's economy. Its purpose is to examine their importance and contribution to the local community by encouraging local economic growth as well as their educational importance and how teachers can use them as starting point for experientially teaching cultural heritage through practical application of art and history in the educational learning process.