Muhammad Arif Fitri Bin Azizan, MD Azalanshah MD Syed, Rosya Izyanie Shamshudeen

Digital Mediation and Community Narratives in Heritage Tourism: Reframing Authenticity in Melaka, Malaysia

Introduction

Digital mediation and community narratives in heritage tourism: reframing authenticity in melaka, malaysia. Redefine authenticity in heritage tourism: Explore how digital media & community narratives shape visitor experiences in Melaka, balancing digital promotion with cultural integrity.

Abstract

This study examines how digital media and grassroots community participation mediate the experience of authenticity in Melaka, Malaysia, a UNESCO World Heritage city. Drawing on qualitative interviews with twenty participants, we apply the Cultural Authenticity-Spectrum Model (CASM) to interpret findings. CASM conceptualizes authenticity as a continuum rather than a binary, allowing analysis of experiences ranging from staged tourist pseudo-events to spontaneous local encounters. Tourists in Melaka reported mixed responses: many were influenced by curated social media imagery and enjoyed colorful spectacles, while others sought deeper connections through unscripted interactions with residents. Local stakeholders described balancing digital promotions and event staging with efforts to maintain cultural integrity, including community-led tours and consultative heritage branding. Key themes include the tension between spectacle and substance, the impact of social media versus on-site “analog” intimacy, and community empowerment versus marginalization. The study connects these insights with theories of staged and existential authenticity, showing how digital technology can both enhance and dilute perceived authenticity, and how community narratives can reclaim heritage meaning. Recommendations include co-creating tourism experiences with local communities, using digital storytelling to educate rather than simply entertain, and implementing policies that support authenticity alongside innovation. This research extends authenticity theory through the CASM framework and offers practical guidance for sustainable heritage tourism management in Southeast Asia.

Review

This study tackles the timely and critical intersection of digital media, community narratives, and the evolving concept of authenticity within heritage tourism, using Melaka, Malaysia, as a compelling case study. The authors effectively frame the research around the challenge of re-conceptualizing authenticity in a digitally saturated world, moving beyond simplistic binary interpretations. By employing qualitative interviews with a diverse group of stakeholders and applying the Cultural Authenticity-Spectrum Model (CASM), the paper establishes a robust methodological foundation for exploring authenticity as a continuum, thereby offering a nuanced understanding of tourist experiences and local efforts to manage heritage. Its central contribution lies in demonstrating how authenticity is a dynamic construct, simultaneously influenced by digital curation and grassroots community engagement. The research delivers compelling insights into the complex interplay between online portrayal and on-site experience. It reveals that tourists in Melaka exhibit mixed responses, drawn by curated social media imagery and spectacles, yet also actively seeking deeper, unscripted connections with residents. Crucially, the study highlights the tension faced by local stakeholders who must balance digital promotion and event staging with a commitment to cultural integrity, often through community-led initiatives. By connecting these observations to established theories of staged and existential authenticity, the paper significantly enriches theoretical understanding of how digital technology can both enhance and dilute perceived authenticity, and critically, how community narratives can reclaim and reinforce heritage meaning. The thematic focus on spectacle versus substance, and community empowerment versus marginalization, provides a comprehensive analytical lens. This paper makes a substantial contribution to the literature on heritage tourism and authenticity. Its strengths include a strong theoretical grounding in the CASM framework, a rich qualitative methodology, and the development of practical recommendations for co-creating tourism experiences, using digital storytelling for education, and implementing supportive policies. While the abstract presents a robust overview, future iterations might benefit from more granular details on participant demographics to further contextualize the "mixed responses" and "community efforts." Overall, the research offers both theoretical advancement and actionable insights, making it a valuable resource for academics and practitioners engaged in sustainable heritage tourism management, particularly within the Southeast Asian context.

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