The essence of the tango: heritage constructs and de-constructs and the tensions produced in tourism consumption of intangible heritage values

The present article looks at the problems triggered by the inclusion of the tango into the vast and voracious heritage tourism circuit after its recognition by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Qualitative methodology is used consisting in ethnographic data collection and participatory observation to underline how the performative aspect may change depending upon the audience, in this case, the tourist. The various situational models of consumption are analyzed, highlighting the tensions that arise as a result of the staging of the milonga and the devirtualization of the consumption of what is the essence of the dance, the "private world of the embrace". By converting a private moment into a public spectacle, this element which is the essence of the dance is relativized and compromised, above all when being presented as a tourist attraction to people of very different cultures from the local context.