The Impact of Tourism on Creative Industries: A Case Study of Venetian Mask Production and the Illusion of Authenticity in Modern Craft

This thesis covers the topic of the Venetian masks industry and the cultural commodification and flattening induced by mass tourism that it has experienced in recent decades.   Venetian craftsmen have been directing complaints and concerns to the vast spread of unauthentic industrial copies of their handmade products, which are mass-produced with low-quality materials outside the country of origin. These are clear signs of the flattening caused by the growing tourism industry and demand for souvenirs which debase traditional cultural items by turning them into cheap industrial products.   The relationship between tourism and creative industries can lead to multifaceted effects. This thesis analyses both positive and negative implications deriving from this relation. Besides the risk of stifling originality and authenticity by catering to tourist demand and the consequent oversimplification and commodification of cultural products, tourism can also provide fresh opportunities for creative expression and stimulate demand for local cultural products and experiences.   In this research, this theoretical framework is, thus, applied to the creative industry of Venetian masks and its reaction to mass tourism. However, in this context, a paradox emerges: Venetian craftsmen have been claiming their authenticity and the traditional character of the industry, although the production of Venetian masks is essentially a newly emerged creative industry that reinvents traditional practices, thereby, developing a sense of nostalgia for a dreamt-up past.