“Homebodies on Vacation” begins introducing the world of tourism as a highly valued, peaceful, yet modern piece of people’s lives. Tourism has the ability to fulfill fantasy and enable people to view pieces of history, culture, and authentic heritage without a time machine. We now have the ability to visually observe landmarks, preserved historical landsite and authentic cultural settings due to ease of travel. Tourism = observing.
The article references the word authentic frequently. It also references that a narrative, or reproduction of a real object is as good as reality to most people. History, geography, cultural settings, objects can be bought, sold and moved. So what is ACTUALLY authentic?
Immediately the point is made that a characteristic of modernity is authenticity and modernity can be recovered in culture.
Dean MacCaell sees a modern tourist as a theorist; theory deriving from a Greek word meaning “site” and “spectacle. A tourist utilizes space and time. Theorization is promoting the potentials and decoding composition. A tourist finds the potentials in an environment by discovering attractions through a planned course.
Going further into the article it explains the ‘slow house’ as a Long Island waterfront vacation home. The view from the house through the picture window is what makes this home so valued and sought after. This view privatizes and edits the world for the resident, making the world positive and carefree. However, the real estate advertisements reference the fact that these vacation homes are perfect escape from civilization yet close proximity to all your office anxiety needs. Home is where work/office is, vacation is enabling you to free yourself of work. So is a vacation home a double standard? What is authentic about that a work filled vacation?
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