TOURISM

Tourism and Tourist Destinations



Tourism and Tourist Destinations

Introduction

In the last thirty years, the travel and tourism industries have seen enormous growth. Despite the unstable global economic conditions and the increasing rate of unemployment and other macroeconomic concerns, this industry seems to have maintained its hold. The dramatically increasing number of people who plan for tourist activities has encouraged the nations to further enhance their infrastructures to attract more tourists. There are various defined characteristics of a tourist destination that have potential of increasing its tourist appeal.

The Concept of Tourism

The term tourism can be defined as the activities of an individual who travels to and stays in a place outside his usual environment for less than a year. The intention behind this travel is either leisure, business or other reasons which are not related to any aspect of an activity which is remunerated from within his visited destination.

A tourist begins his trip from his homeland and travels to a selected destination using various mediums of travel such as land, air or sea. The point where a tourist enters the host community is known as the gateway. This part needs to be the most attractive as it forms the tourists' first impression of his chosen tourist destination. However, when the tourist leave this destination through the same or different gateway, he returns home or moves to another destination with the memories and images of his entire travel experience (Howie, 2003, pp. 46).

Characteristics of a Tourist Destination

Boniface and Cooper (2009) stated that all potential tourist destinations possess a certain set of features and that the successful recognition of these core characteristics facilitate in their design and development. Referring to the work of earlier theorists, they listed the following key features of a flourishing tourist destination;

Economic structure and economic development

Political organisation

Social structure and organisation

Natural environmental features and processes

Level of tourist development

Boniface and Cooper explained about the fundamental structure of a tourist destination and identified their primary components. They listed the mentioned core characteristics based on their observations of the tourists' behaviour, done on an extended period of time.

Economic Characteristics

Not all places are alike and therefore, they differ in their potential for tourism. Areas that are not bestowed with sufficient resources have comparatively lower chances for the establishment of a successful tourist business or its developmental pattern. One major contributor to a place's attractiveness is its economic prosperity. Those tourist destinations that have an affluent financial state draw more tourists compared to those which have limited financial resources.

People, in general, take part in tourist activities for pure luxury or recreational purposes. With such intentions, they prefer opting for those places that have the maximum to offer. Those countries that have a higher percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) can develop more infrastructures along with the abundant supply of other services. However, the availability of private and public sources of investment is very critical to all of the elements that make up the tourist system. Additionally, this system is influenced greatly by the diversity and ...