smart thinking in special interest tourism dr melanie smith lecturer, researcher and consultant...
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SMART Thinking in Special Interest Tourism
Dr Melanie SmithLecturer, Researcher and Consultant
Tourism Competence CentreCorvinus University of Budapest,
Hungary Email: [email protected]
Special Interest Tourism
„Travelling with the primary motivation of practising or enjoying a special interest. This can include unusual hobbies, activities, themes or destinations, which tend to attract niche markets”
(Smith et al., 2010)
Special interest tourism tends to be more sustainable or ethical than mass tourism. Smaller group sizes (typically 10-15 tourists), more educated, experienced visitors, more authentic environmental or cultural experiences are the main focus of the trip.
(Douglas et al., 2001)
SPECIAL INTEREST or Niche Tourism
(adapted from Novelli, 2005)
Cultural Environment
al
Rural Urban Others
Heritage
Tribal
Religious
Educational
Genealogy
Nature and
wildlife
Ecotourism
Adventure
Alpine
Geotourism
Coastal
Farm/barns
Camping
Wine/
Gastronomy
Sport
Festivals and
events
Arts and crafts
Business
Conference
Exhibition
Sport
Gallery
Art
Photographic
Small cruise
Volunteer
Dark
Youth
Transport
MORE: Originality
– Food (e.g. cookery courses, celebrity chefs, fusion cuisine, healthy eating, slow food)
– Culture (e.g. everyday life, indigenous peoples, ethnic diversity)
– History (e.g. story-telling, living history, costume drama, role play)
– Festivals which are more than just spectatorship (e.g. music, dance & crafts workshops, kids’ corners, circus skills, games, etc)
– Arts and crafts (e.g. making objects, painting them, dying & weaving)
MORE Diversity Representation of multiple
cultures & stories in museums Ethnic festivals (e.g. Jewish,
Roma) World music (e.g. WOMAD) Guided walks (e.g. Jewish
quarter) Special events (e.g. Gay Pride) Carnivals & Melas (i.e. Indian
Festivals) Circuses (e.g. Chinese, Russian,
Cirque du Soleil) International & fusion food
festivals Ethnic shopping (e.g. Chinese
stores, markets) Guest markets (e.g. German,
French)
ASK: What do Tourists want? Tourists require ‘edutainment’
Tourists want to touch, taste, smell, hear, as well as see
Tourists like to experience real, authentic & everyday places & people
Tourists want to discover something unique Tourists look for a sense of place &
character Tourists enjoy animation & a good
atmosphere Tourists need to be engaged & absorbed Tourists want to be surprised & delighted Tourists sometimes need to be shocked &
provoked!
RESPOND: New Product DevelopmentHealth & Wellness
Tourism
Body-Mind-Spirit combined packages
Products for new markets (e.g. gay, para-tourism)
Holistic cruises De-tox/diet retreats Wine or vinotherapy Art/music therapy Animal therapy
TRENDS: Wellness Tourism Shift back to indigenous &
natural products & treatments
Need for greening or spas & eco-friendliness
More holistic tourism Growth of global wellness
hotels More wellness areas at music
festivals Increase in gastro-travel More fusion treatments (e.g.
Aquaveda, Yogalates) Flexible delivery of
treatments (e.g. own home, workplace, online, even in bars!)
TRENDS: Cultural Tourism
Historic spas (e.g. special events)
Architecture tours (e.g. Gaudi trail, Barcelona)
Film & media (e.g. film sets, studio tours, film-making, links to popular programmes, interaction with celebrities)
Everyday life (e.g. homestays, pub crawls led by locals)
Artist-led activities (e.g. interactive, creative tourism)
Youth culture (e.g. music festivals, chill out festivals)
TRENDS: Creative Tourism
„Learning a skill on holiday that is part of the culture of the country or community being visited” (Richards & Raymond, 2000:16)
„Travel directed toward an engaged and authentic experience, with participative learning in the arts, heritage, or special character of a place, and it provides a connection with those who reside in this place and create this living culture.”
(UNESCO, 2006:3)
UNESCO Creative City Network (Literature, Cinema, Music, Craft and folk art, Design, Media arts, Gastronomy)
Enjoying attractions and activities which are linked to the creative industries, and which tend to be interactive or experiential in nature. This might include industries such as film and TV, fashion, design, and architecture. (Smith, 2009)
TRENDS: ‘Fringe’ Tourism Many tourists, especially
repeat visitors seeking alternative experiences based on authenticity of local areas, i.e. ‘fringe tourism’ (Maitland, 2007)
Ethnic quarters or ’ethnoscapes’ so popular with visitors that they regularly feature in tourist brochures as cultural attractions
Ethnic festivals and carnivals ; world music festivals
Gay tourism (gay index closely connected to ‘creativity’)
Summary of SMART Thinking S is for sustainable, special interest tourism
M is for more quality, originality, diversity, value for money
A is for ask what do tourists want? Undertake research
R is for respond to tourists’ needs, develop new products and services accordingly
T is for trends – identifying those trends which influence tourists’ motivation and behaviour
Conclusions Traditional approaches to tourism are too
limited Need for more creative & innovative
approaches Tourists looking for new & unique
experiences Old products can be given new life New trends can provide more interesting
experiences for a wider range of people Focus on different needs of domestic,
international, first-time, & repeat visitors Consider issues relating to age, gender, &
ethnicity Different nationalities may be receptive to
different products & approaches (growth markets in future maybe Chinese, Indian.....)