ABSTRACT
Along with transport and accommodation, attractions form one of the central
components of tourism, providing a vital element in the visitors’ enjoyment and
experience. They are important both at destinations and en route to a destination. One
of the major problems in identifying attractions is that whilst they are patronized by
tourists, more importantly, the scale and volume of visits are dominated by leisure
and day trippers as well as local residents. In this respect the market for attractions is
large, and it forms a vital part of the infrastructure of the destination area. Attractions
provide a nucleus for visitor spending in destinations when they are linked to
regeneration strategies. Thus a successful attraction industry is vital for a healthy
tourism sector so that visitors have sufficient scope to undertake visits and spending
during their stay. Attractions are also a major draw for many visits, especially in areas
where the regeneration strategies by public and private sector agencies have
underpinned future tourism development around such a hub of activity, as shown in
the case study in Box 9.1.
