Module Information

The tourism destination is a core component of the tourism system, while visitor attractions represent the main driver of demand for destinations: without attractions there would be no destinations. Both destinations and attractions have, however, been largely overlooked as foci of analysis in the literature. The purpose of this module is to develop an understanding of the role of destinations and attractions in the production and consumption of tourism, as well as to explore how destinations and attractions are managed and marketed, to identify the range of forces that infliuence the competitiveness of destinations and attractions, and to examine strategies for managing those influences.

The destination sits at the heart of the tourism system. For consumers it is a major motivating factor behind their travel decisions, shaping their expectations and satisfaction. For producers, the destination is the context in which the various components of the tourism system come together for the tourism service-product to be assembled and delivered. Attractions play a critical role in the development and sustainability of tourist destinations. The module will first take the destination as the focus of study, examining the nature of the destination and the sources of its competitiveness, before moving on to consider the role of destination management organisations and marketing through the use of destination images. It will then examine visitor attractions in the destination context, exploring their nature and role, development, marketing and management. The module will include at least two field visits and a range of real-world case studies to illustrate issues being considered.