Tourist Destination Development

Corinna Chin

Think!

• What elements do you think are needed in order to develop a tourist destination?

Typology of destinations

• Cities – including historic, cultural and tourist cities

• Regions• Resorts• Villages and small towns• Protected areas, including rural areas with

nature-based attractions

Howie, 2003:78Countries

Booth, 2008

What we’ll cover…

• Factors needed in a tourist destination– The 6 As

• Butler’s TALC• Visitor and Destination Management

Destination

ACCESS

ATTRACTIONS

ACTIVITIES

ACCOMMODATION

ANCILLARY SERVICES

AMENITIES

• Visitor demand and marketing activity• Converting resources into attractions• Accommodation and transport• Relationship to sustainable development• Tourism trends and the destination lifecycle

Booth, 2008

Destinations

Access • Various types• All types important to a destination• Generally need most of them at a destination

to make it easier to reach• Can therefore make it a more popular

destination

• Major form of access especially to a foreign destination

• Airports needs to be close to destination• Facilitate domestic and international

tourists• ‘Hub’ = major airport (Heathrow)• ‘Spoke’ = regional airport, has regular flights

to and from ‘hub’ e.g. Manchester

Air

• For domestic and international• Domestic – travel via car, motorbike, coach• International – transfers via taxi, coach, car

rental, public transport

Roads

• Access to destination via water• Ferries – passengers and cars• Cruise ships – passengers

Ports

• Domestic and international• Can be used for day-trips, travel between

major cities• Holiday in itself – long distances within one

country or across several countries

RAIL

• Access affects those less-able bodied• Adaptation of transport for disabled people• Adaptation of destination for disabled people

– Beach, hotels, parking etc

Disability

• Important as gives direction to destination and attractions and facilities

• Road signs – for attractions and facilities• Pedestrian signs – for attractions or

walking routes

Signage

Think!

• Name a major access example for each within the UK:– Air (not Heathrow!)– Road– Port– Rail

Attractions • “generally single units, individual sites or very

small, easily delimited geographical areas based on a single key feature”

(Swarbrooke, 2002)

• ‘Pull’ factor for a destination• Can be the deciding factor in a holiday choice

Natural AttractionsScenery, nature, views

Type of natural attraction

Beaches •‘Sunlust’ tourist; 3S•Beautiful view, location•Soft sand, clear water•Safe environment for families

Flora and fauna(Plants and animals)

•Appreciation of F&F at destination•Birds or species-watching•See F&F in natural environment

Lakes •Beautiful scenery•Water-based activities: sailing, canoeing, fishing

Mountains •Unique environment•Extreme sports activities: climbing, skiing, walking

Rivers •Water-based holidays: cruises, boating•Water-based activities: water-skiing, fishing

Topography •‘The shape of composition of the landscape’ (Dale, 2005)•Natural scenery can be the attraction•Aesthetic beauty•Escapism•Generally protected areas e.g. National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)

Built/Man-made Attractions

• Built and adapted for visitor purposes• Built and designed for visitor purposes

Built attractions adapted for visitor purposes

• Not originally designed for visitors• But major tourist attractions

– Historical or cultural significance• Examples

– Castles (Windsor Castle)– Cathedrals (Canterbury Cathedral)– Historic houses (Anne Frank)– Steam railways– Workplaces (old factories etc)

Purpose-built/attractions designed for visitor purposes

• Supplement main attraction• Built to attract more tourists to an area = ↑ in pull

factor• Some destinations have no natural attractions so are

built to entice tourists• Examples

– Galleries, Museums, Theatres– Theme Parks, Water Parks, Wildlife Parks, Zoos– Leisure Centres– Shopping Malls– Visitor Centres

Temporary Attractions• Festivals or events at a particular time of the year• Can be natural or man-made• Natural

– Northern Lights, Norway• Man-made

– Sports events: Olympics, World Cup, Grand Prix– Music Festivals: Glastonbury, Mardi Gras– Cultural Festivals: Oktoberfest, Seafood & Wine etc

Why have temporary attractions?

Accommodation• Hotels • Apartments, villas, cottages• Guesthouses • B&B• Farmhouses• Campus accommodation• Youth hostel• Camp sites• Timeshare

Star Rating Hotel

•Courteous staff provide informal but competent service•Most rooms en-suite•Designated eating area (B&D)

•All rooms en-suite (private facilities)•Restaurant or dining room serves B&D daily

•Staff = smart and professional•All rooms en-suite•Restaurant open to guests and non-guests

AA (Automobile Association) Accommodation Grading Standards

Star rating HotelProfessional, uniformed staff responds to needsDecent sized public areaRestaurant open to guests and non-guestsLunch available in designated areaLuxurious accommodationLuxurious public areaExtra facilitiesMultilingual servicesGuests greeted at hotel entranceHigh quality menu and wine list

AA (Automobile Association) Accommodation Grading Standards

Activities • Many available at a destination• Tourists will participate in different activities

according to their needs • Destinations must provide ones that suit the

type of tourist visiting• Two types:

– Active– Passive

Active

• Some accommodation provides these activities– Water sports, golf, walking etc

• Private companies run active organised activities

• Appealing to active tourists• Generally younger tourist and those more

able-bodied

Passive

• Can be provided by accommodation – on-site activities– Bingo, quizzes, shows, reading books

• Suitable for tourist who want to relax (R&R)• Generally older tourists, less mobile

Amenities • Extra services• Meets needs of tourist• Government needs to provide these to

permanent and temporary populations• Number will depend on size of destination• Some only found in peak season

Amenities

• Examples:– Public toilets– Signage– Retail shopping– Restaurant and cafes– Visitor centres– Telecommunications– Emergency services

Ancillary Services• Additional, supplementary services• Provides support needed by tourism industry• Helps with the ‘multiplier effect’

– More money generated and distributed• Public and private organisations• Bigger the destination, more ancillary services

Ancillary Services

• Examples:– Car hire– Catering companies– Entertainment: bars, nightclubs, casinos– Foreign exchange services– Insurance– Laundry services– Tourism marketing services

Butler’s Tourism Area Life Cycle(TALC)

• Illustrates the different stages a destination moves through as it develops

• Like your own life cycle

Stage Name Description

1 Exploration •Very few tourists•Destination unknown•New experience travellers•Independent travel•Few facilities; basic infrastructure•Local culture strong•Nature undisturbed

2 Involvement •Increase in tourist numbers•Transport links developed•Local people create businesses•Public sector examines tourism development•Small investments into infrastructure and facilities

Stage Name Description

3 Development •Original visitors move on•Organised tours •Large increase in tourist numbers•Private businesses get involved•Infrastructure developed•New construction for tourism•Tourist season develops•Lots of advertising

4 Consolidation •Tourist numbers still increase but slower rate•Locals resent tourists•Mass tourism destination•Lots of advertising to encourage more tourists

Stage Name Description5 Stagnation •Mass tourism

•Carrying capacity reached or exceeded•Natural environment damaged•Man-made constructions taken over•Over-crowded•Over-commercialised

3 possible routes after Stage 5…

Rejuvenation •Redevelop destination•Lots of money•Cleaning up•Re-building

Stabilisation •Continues in same manner•Same infrastructure•Not sustainable•Tourists will eventually stop

Decline •Unattractive destination•Facilities close•No investment•Tourist numbers have large decrease•Tourism may disappear completely

Visitor and Destination Management

Development

RESOURCES ATTRACTIONS

NaturalCultural

‘Intangible’

Environmentsensitive

+ culturally sensitive

+ sustainable

Nature based wildlife/sceneryCulture-based

heritage and ways of life

Spirit of place (ambience)

Howie, 2003: 77

Booth, 2008

Development of Attractions

Visitor Management ModelVisitor

Place Host community

External influencesExternal influences

External influences Booth, 2008

Management challenges• Enhancing the environment for both locals and

tourists• Attracting visitors• Accommodation and attraction capacity• Creating mixed-use environments

– Developing cultural activities for both residents and visitors

• Transport links within destination and beyond• Maintain historical links – spirit of place• Protection of

– the landscape– The natural environment

Booth, 2008

Factors Involved in Destination Development

• Multiple stakeholders• Direct/indirect involvement

• Ethical concerns• Sustainability

• Host-guest relationships• Spirit of place

• Multiplier effects• Far-reaching impacts

• GlobalisationBooth, 2008 Booth, 2008

Factors Influencing the Tourist Experience at Visitor Attractions

Design issues– Signposting– Seating provision– Car parking provision– Overcrowding

Booth, 2008

Customer care• Relationship between

staff, service and needs of the visitor

• Cleanliness of facilities• Catering

Personal issuesMoodWord of mouth/interaction with other peopleExpectation of the visitor/prior socialisation/cultural

factors

Hard and Soft Visitor Management

‘Hard interventions physically impede visitors behaving as they want … Soft interventions

aim at changing the visitor’s behaviour, mostly through information campaigns and

marketing.’

Tyler et al, 1998: 132

Booth, 2008

Managing Demand

• Redirect visitors to other sites• Offer alternative attractions

– Visitor centres• Promote off-peak demand

– Create price incentives– Develop complementary services to attract visitors

• Reservation systems

Booth, 2008Leask and Yeoman, 1999

Managing Supply

• Alternative service location (attractions only)• Efficient employment

– Cross train workers so they can fulfil multiple job roles according to demand

• Prepare for peak demand

Leask and Yeoman, 1999

Booth, 2008

Managing waiting

‘Queues do not have to be a bleak introduction to a tourist attraction. Instead they can be

integrated into the design of a facility, provide an opportunity to orientate people

towards that facility with questions and display panels; they can be less onerous

physically with resting opportunities, water fountains and indications of time …’

Pearce, 1991

Booth, 2008

Visitor Management Approaches & Techniques

• Town planning– Regulating access by transport– Zoning by space, time or activity– Signage and interpretation

• Regulating visits by number and group size• Pricing policy – numbers versus access• Modifying the site• Partnerships with tour operators• Information and marketing

Booth, 2008

Process of destination planning• Understand the destination and its tourist offerings• Stakeholder analysis – who, what, how, where, why?• Visitor analysis - who, what, how, where, why?• External audit

– PLEST = political, legal, economic, socio-cultural, technological

– SWOT = strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats

• Create a plan– Develop vision, mission, objectives– Implement, monitor and evaluate

• Sustainability, ethical, visitor experienceBooth, 2008

PLEST Political, legalPolitical environmentVisa requirementsPlanning regulationCurrency controlStability/security

EconomicExchange ratesCost of labourInflationCredit chargesAvailability of capital investment funds

Socio-culturalAttitudes of host communityAttitudes of tourists in target marketImpact of new fashions, behaviours

TechnologicalPromotionDistributionTicketing

Booth, 2008

SWOTDestination: IcelandINTERNAL FACTORS

StrengthsDistinctive environmentEstablished cultural heritageGood access via airport and good accommodationWell established profile with tour operators

WeaknessesAn expensive destinationExtreme seasonalityPerceived as remotePoor family destination – lack of things for children to doPoor travel infrastructure

Booth, 2008

SWOT Destination: IcelandEXTERNAL FACTORS

OpportunitiesExcellent development possibilities for special interest tourismOpportunity for city break holsDevelop Reykjavik as a conference centre

ThreatsOther Scandinavian destinationsCost factors put the destination at a disadvantageContinuing problems finding development funding for tourism

Key Tourism Destination Ingredients

• Shared vision and goals for the present and future

• Sharing information • Continuous education and self-

development• Collaboration• Networking• Cultural exchange• Participative planning and decision making• Adaptive management(Schianetz, 2008)

Booth, 2008

Key Issues

• Who is in charge of the management plan? Who is it for? What are the desired outcomes?

• Sustainability = crucial– Need short and long term plans for success

• Stakeholder involvement very important• Development is destination-appropriate• Proper regulation

Booth, 2008

Think!

• In small groups, create a SWOT analysis for a destination of your choice

• Can be: the UK, your home country, another tourist destination

S W

O T

Summary

• The 6 As• Visitor and destination management

– Supply, demand, SWOT, PLEST, process, key issues

Group Presentation

• FRIDAY 19 MARCH• 3 minutes in length• All group members must participate• Task: design a tourism attraction of your

choice• Non-existent in real life• Use PowerPoint

Presentation covers…

• Name, location of attraction – why?• Why have you chosen that attraction?• What tourism market is it part of?• Who are your potential customers? Why?• The 6 As?