Int. J. Tourism Anthropolog, Vol. 2, No. 2, xxxx 1 Authenticating Belief and Identity: The Visitor and Celtic Christianity in Cornwall Graham Busby* School of Tourism and Hospitality, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 8AA, United Kingdom. E-mail: g.busby@plymouth.ac.uk *Corresponding author Patrick Laviolette Dept. of Anthropology, Estonian Institute of Humanities, Tallinn University, Uus Sadama 5, 10120 Tallinn, Estonia. E-mail: patrick@ehi.ee Abstract: For many visitors, the southwestern peninsula of mainland Britain is ‘different’. Diverse sources of evidence suggest that the Duchy of Cornwall continues to possess traits from a Celtic legacy. This paper outlines perceptions of ‘Otherness’ which are synonymous with ‘Cornishness’, thus fitting into the newly developing framework concerned with the authenticity of belief systems and symbolism in the realm of heritage tourism. Hence we review the nexus of relationships between religion and the past regarding the evidence for a Celtic Christian identity over time. To this effect we consider historical sources, such as guidebooks and postcards, before turning to contemporary research, drawing on Visitors’ Book comments and the findings from a substantial on-site survey. Moreover, this study fits into wider sociological and ethnographic settings concerned with various issues surrounding Cornish identity. Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Busby, G. & Laviolette, P. (2012) ‘Authenticating Belief and Identity: The Visitor and Celtic Christianity in Cornwall’, Int. J. Tourism Anthropology, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp.XX–XX. Biographical notes: Graham Busby is Associate Professor at the University of Plymouth where he has worked for the last eighteen years. He has published extensively on film, literary and heritage tourism. As a Cornishman, he has maintained a research interest in all things Cornish, recently visiting Moonta, South Australia, an example of reverse diaspora tourism Copyright © 200x Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.