Definition
Tourism can be defined as people’s temporary transfer from their housing or workplace to a location („playground”), and the tourism sector encompasses all relevant facilities or services in the destination that are to be given to visitors.
Attractions which motivate and attract tourist to visit the destination and it consist of the man made as well as natural attraction features or cultural events. Attractions are located within the destination and they form the basis of the tourism product at the destination. A destination without potential or real tourism attractions cannot be developed into a tourism destination.
Unless the premises are significantly large and provide some kind of value-added experience, such as having a well-known or established artist in residence, or interpretative tours of the premises, arts and crafts outlets, nurseries, garden centres, and most retail establishments are generally not considered tourist attractions.
Wineries are required to offer wine tastings and cellar door sales. Wineries that are exclusively ‘open by appointment’ are not considered tourist attractions for the purposes of road signs. Attractions can be divided into 5 categories:
- Heritage attractions: focus on preserving and exhibiting objects, sites, and natural wonders of historical, cultural, and educational value (e.g., museums, art galleries, historic sites, botanical gardens, zoos, nature parks, conservation areas).
- Amusement/entertainment attractions: maintain and provide access to amusement or entertainment facilities (e.g., arcades; amusement, theme, and water parks)
- Recreational attractions: maintain and provide access to outdoor or indoor facilities where people can participate in sports and recreational activities (e.g., golf courses, skiing facilities, marinas, bowling centres)
- Commercial attractions: retail operations dealing in gifts, handcrafted goods, and souvenirs that actively market to tourists (e.g., craft stores listed in a tourist guide)
- Industrial attractions: deal mainly in agriculture, forestry, and manufacturing products that actively market to tourists (e.g., wineries, fish hatcheries, factories)
The importance and relevance of the topic
Tourist attractions have become a modern-day phenomenon. Attractions and their accompanying behaviours are among the most intricate and highly organized universal norms that co-create modern communities. In the postmodern era, the function of tourist attractions is shifting. Consumer demands and the inventiveness of tourism organizers have resulted in change and evolution in the tourist attraction market, resulting in this sector becoming more diverse. The shape, location, style, and magnitude of tourist attractions are always evolving.
Tourist attraction phenomenon continue to rise in number, satisfying the needs of tourists and tourism operators. There are many reasons for this historically unprecedented development of attractions. These include:
- Growth in society’s wealth;
- Increased leisure time in the form of paid holidays and two-day weekends
- Development of technology connected with modern reservation systems
- Increased mobility due to the development of motorisation
- The popularisation of attractions in the media
- Intensive marketing of destinations carried out by governments, local communitiesand tourism enterprises
- The development of holiday packages, increasing the comfort of journeys, even toremote places.
Analyses of the evolution of tourist attractions draw attention to social and technological transformations as well as visitors’ changing needs. Latest discoveries suggests that attractions are produced, discovered, created or managed to keep pace with consumers’ needs and tastes, while attraction development is of interest to the national tourist boards of countries receivingtourists, tourism regions and the entire tourism industry .
Current issues and challenges for this topic
Renewable energy technology becomes better, cheaper, and easier to access every year. Yet, renewable energy sources are only responsible for 20% of our global energy consumption. There are challenges for renewable energy introduction to our daily use.
- The tourism industry is heavily taxed. There is a widespread misconception that visitors and tourists do not pay taxes. Instead, visitors are among the most heavily taxed and underrepresented groups in the world. It is enough to look at an airline ticket, rent a vehicle, or stay in a hotel to see how much is spent on travel. These fees not only raise the expense of travel significantly, but they have also become a source of irritation.
- Increase of mass tourism resulting in straining the tourism infrastructure. Many cities all across the world have witnessed a big surge of tourists though are simply unprepared to handle the onslaught. Tourism is about much more than just selling or marketing. There must be a product, and the product must include not just the attraction or activity, but also the employees who supply it. This implies that if the number of visitors exceeds a site’s capacity to absorb these people, the venue will face a slew of issues. Too many tourists to a region that is not prepared for non-sustainable numbers provides a sense of tourism ecstasy in the short run, but presents long-term tourism challenges that can be fatal to a tourism industry’s long-term health.
- Physical plants that are no longer adept for modern tourism. Possibly the most serious issue arises in the world of aviation. Many airports are just not designed to manage a big volume of arriving passengers at the same time. Long queues and bad memories result from a lack of infrastructure mixed with frequently insufficient training people (or personnel who just do not care). Tourism officials must keep in mind that first and final impressions are major elements of their marketing efforts.
- Local Infrastructure problems. Many tourist places are unprepared for tourists. They lack adequate sanitation and water treatment plants. Similarly, both roads and sidewalks are poorly maintained, posing risks not just to the local population but also to visitors. It is critical that local governments recognize that a good tourist environment has an influence on the local culture and ecology. Heavy fees combined with poor road and street quality are bound to irritate people while also signaling that tourism may face future issues.
EU Policy Framework relating to the topic
EU policy aims to maintain Europe’s standing as a leading destination while maximising the industry’s contribution to growth and employment and promoting cooperation between EU countries, particularly through the exchange of good practices. The EU’s competence in tourism is one of support and coordination to supplement the actions of member countries.
Back in June 2010, the European Commission adopted the Communication, ‘Europe the world’s No.1 destination- a new political framework for tourism in Europe’. This communication sets out a new strategy and action plan for EU tourism.
Four priorities for action were identified:
- To stimulate competitiveness in the European tourism sector.
- To promote the development of sustainable, responsible, and high-quality tourism.
- To consolidate Europe’s image as a collection of sustainable, high-quality destinations.
- To maximize the potential of EU financial policies for developing tourism.
More information:
http://www.aalep.eu/challenges-european-tourism-industry
https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/sectors/tourism/policy-overview_en
