Fairytale authenticity: historic city tourism, Harry Potter, medievalism and the magical gaze

A novel form of experiential authenticity emerges when tourists engage with medieval heritage through the lens of fairytales, particularly modern fantasy franchises like Harry Potter and Game of Thrones. This 'heritage marvellous' enhances the imaginative authentication of historic cities by blending magical-historical elements in their streetscapes—such as wizarding shops—and monumental architecture. The study employed visual methodology to analyze 14 medieval cities, including Bath, Oxford, and York, revealing how tourists serendipitously encounter a medieval-fairytalesque experience, unlocking narratives of mythology within the ordinary-extraordinary urban landscape. This research suggests that the rising popularity of fantasy genres could redefine how heritage tourism perceives authenticity.

Lovell, J. (2019). Fairytale authenticity: historic city tourism, Harry Potter, medievalism and the magical gaze. Journal of Heritage Tourism, 14(5-6), 448–465. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743873x.2019.1588282