TOURISM

Joseph Dimaano
9 Visitor Attractions
Learning Objectives

• To understand the importance of attractions for

the tourism industry

• To describe and classify different types of

attractions

• To understand different ownership and

management of different types of attractions

• To appreciate the role of events as attraction

Classification
• Four main types (Swarbrooke, 2002)
1. Features within the natural environment
2. Human-made buildings, structures and sites that
were designed for a purpose other than attracting
visitors, such as religious worship, but which now
attract substantial numbers of visitors who use them
as leisure amenities
3. Human-made buildings, structures and sites that
are designed to attract visitors and are purpose-built to
accommodate their needs, such as theme parks
4. Special events
Classification
• Another frequent typology is based on
– Natural features
– Man-made features
– Cultural features
– Any combination of these three
 Classification
LOCAL MARKET

OWNERSHIP

BUILT
INTERNATIONAL

NATIONAL
PRODUCT
FREE
PAID

resource,
catering,
interpretation,
retailing, events,
conferences,
activities

NATURAL

REGIONAL MARKET (Leask, 2003, p. 7)

Ownership
• Public
– Central government
– Government agencies
– Local authorities
– State industries
• Voluntary organizations
– Charitable trusts
– Private clubs and associations
• Private
– Individuals and partnerships
– Private companies
– Corporations
Attraction Attributes
(Weaver and Lawton, 2010)

• Ownership and orientation

• Spatial configuration
• Authenticity
• Scarcity
• Status
• Carrying capacity
• Accessibility
• Market
• Context
Non-purpose-built
Attractions
• Created for different purpose, but evolved into
an attraction
– Churches (e.g. Notre Dame in Paris)
– Shopping malls (e.g. West Edmonton Mall, Canada)
– Factories (e.g. Coca Cola in Atlanta)
– Industrial sites (e.g. Waihi Gold Mine, New Zealand)
– Modern buildings (e.g. Sydney Opera House)
– Superstructures (e.g. Golden Gate Bridge in San
Francisco)
World Heritage
• Identified and declared by the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO)
• Three categories
– Outstanding natural heritage
– Outstanding cultural heritage
– Outstanding natural and cultural heritage
World Heritage
• Issues/challenges
– Managing access (access versus conservation)
– ‘Edutainment’
– Ownership
Events as Attraction
• MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences,
Events)

• Event types
– Festivals
– Tournaments
– Other
Events as Attraction
• Mega-events
– Legacies
– Opportunities
• Infrastructure improvements
• Community involvement/development
Visitor Interpretation
• Various techniques
– Signs and plates
– Audio tours
– Video screenings
– Guidebooks/brochures
– Personal interpretation (by tour guide)

• The role of the Tourist Information Centre