ABSTRACT
The concept of opportunity sets can be used to aid an understanding of the structure and processes underlying the marketing of tourism products. So far application of the concept has focused on holiday opportunity sets from (i) the consumer's viewpoint, i.e. within the range of holidays available at any given time individual consumers will have sub–sets conditioned by their preferences, awareness and socio–economic circumstances, and (ii) the industry's viewpoint, especially that of the tour operator, i.e. the range of holidays offered by the industry in any given tourist-generating market can be subdivided into various holiday travel and accommodation packages. The supply–oriented approach has emphasised tourism products as holiday types, especially inclusive tours. The destination viewpoint has been neglected even though industry opportunity sub-sets acknowledge that destination is a basis for market segmentation and product differentiation within and between tour operators. Destination is an inescapable component of every tourism product and can be analysed using opportunity sets. Two approaches are possible: destinations as viewed from outside, e.g. by tour operators based in tourist–generating countries, and from inside, e.g. the view projected outwards by destination area tourism agencies. This chapter emphasises the former approach (whilst Chp. 9 illustrates the latter for a particular destination).
