Imagery and literature in the development of tourism in Canada's Northwest Territories

The multi-dimensionality of tourism today makes it impossible to define “what constitutes an authentic experience?” This study however promotes the importance of existentialism in enhancing the explanatory power of authenticity. An increasing number of tourists today are seeking ‘authentic’ travel experiences by interacting with nature and culture. There has been a shift from active holidays to holidays as an experience (WTO 2002). Tourism consumption patterns have undergone fundamental changes, following in the footsteps of other types of consumption. Such changes in tourism consumption patterns place emphasis on the environment and social context within which tourism occurs and the humanization of travel (Krippendorf 1987). Such humanization is evidenced in the popularity and growth of cultural and heritage tourism and the increased emphasis on visitor/host interaction in providing authentic experiences. The variety of tourist experiences is the result of different resources and vice versa; various resources are evaluated by different categories of tourists in many different ways. The point is to achieve a complete participative experience, which provides new knowledge as well as authentic emotions.