Tepoztlan, an intimate experience economy

This article discusses how the construction and institutionalization of social representations in Tepoztlan, Mexico, have influenced the definition of tourism in this community. We propose the concept of an intimate experience economy to analyze the forms of institutionalization that places, practices, symbols, and relationships have and how they together generate what most people consider authentic experiences, recreation, and comfort. The article concludes that tourism is a complex network of social relations that has a tendency to create asymmetric relations of exploitation and culture. Reprinted by permission of the publisher