A multi-methods study on authenticity and sentiments in souvenir design for cultural heritage preservation

<p dir="ltr">The preservation of cultural heritage is essential and serves political, cultural, entrepreneurial, educational, and emancipatory purposes. Enhancing the authenticity and appeal of cultural items supports their preservation, while design acts as a catalyst for cultural development. Souvenir design can contribute to cultural heritage preservation, enhancing cultural identity within local communities, sparking visitors’ interest in a destination, enriching their experiences, supporting well-being, and integrating their memories with the cultural heritage experience. Thus, this research aims to unlock the potential of souvenirs as active socio-cultural tools for cultural heritage preservation from the perspectives of tourists and local communities about authenticity and sentiments. The objective is to provide designers with effective methods and practical guidelines for creating souvenirs that enhance cultural significance and emotional longevity.</p><p dir="ltr">This study began by exploring the concept of authenticity, which is essential for preserving cultural heritage through souvenirs. Many souvenirs fail to support cultural heritage preservation, as destination development, commercialisation of cultural traditions, and globalisation have led to the rise of ‘souvenir kitsch’. Such types of souvenirs promote stereotypical perceptions that diverge from local culture and history, reducing their ability to represent the destination and weakening their role in heritage site management, ultimately threatening cultural diversity. In contrast, authentic souvenirs embody a destination’s attractions, tourist experiences, and the intrinsic qualities of objects while maintaining a strong connection to tradition, originality, uniqueness, and local specificity. They represent cultural heritage identity and contribute to its preservation.</p><p dir="ltr">A case study was conducted on Taylor’s Bellfoundry (TBF) in Loughborough, a cultural heritage site in the UK, to explore authenticity in souvenir design. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and a focus group workshop involving stakeholders to gain insights into their perceptions of authenticity related to the Bellfoundry.</p><p dir="ltr">This study on authenticity develops a new theoretical model based on Littrell et al. (1993), Carroll (2015) and Soukhathammavong (2018). It refines and extends existing frameworks by proposing a new theoretical framework for authenticity elements in souvenir design, incorporating key aspects such as history and ethnography, uniqueness, workmanship, aesthetics, utility, and the acquisition process. Furthermore, by using TBF as a case study, this research provides practical design recommendations for creating authentic souvenirs that reflect the Bellfoundry’s heritage.</p><p dir="ltr">Findings on authenticity perception further support previous research that authenticity is not purely objective for stakeholders. Instead, authenticity perception involves a certain degree of subjectivity shaped by tourists’ emotional resonance and personal memories. Furthermore, this subjectivity suggests that when souvenirs are removed from their original cultural context, they face contextual adaptation challenges, which may lead to a decline in perceived authenticity and emotional durability over time.</p><p dir="ltr">This subjectivity leads the researcher to recognise the importance of exploring emotional attachment and sentiment toward souvenirs and cultural heritage. Sentiment plays a crucial role in understanding how tourists experience, interpret, and engage with cultural heritage and souvenirs, making it more significant than focusing solely on authenticity. Additionally, research on sentiments remains an underdeveloped area. Therefore, this study extends beyond authenticity research into a deeper exploration of sentiments.</p><p dir="ltr">This research conducted several explorations to investigate sentiments. It began by identifying the appropriate terminology, establishing ‘sentiment’ rather than ‘emotion’ as the key concept. The method involved a literature review to develop criteria for sentiment, highlighting the distinction between emotions and sentiments. This challenges the prevailing concept of emotional design by suggesting that longterm emotional attachment should be more appropriately conceptualised as sentimental design.</p><p dir="ltr">This research proposes a repertoire of sentiments based on the previously established criteria and analysis of emotion and tourism emotion literature, TBF context, and participants’ experienced sentiments toward souvenirs in creative design workshops (CDW).</p><p dir="ltr">The CDW method was developed to explore sentiments toward travel experiences and souvenirs by artisans and designers. Through thematic analysis, this research identified six sentimental souvenir typologies: reminder souvenirs, relationship connectors, documentation, positive-feelings souvenirs, identity-forming souvenirs, daily life souvenirs and interaction facilitators. Additionally, the study provides design recommendations tailored to each type of sentimental souvenir.</p>