ABSTRACT
Along with the transport and accommodation sector, attractions form one of the central components of tourism, providing a vital element in the visitor’s enjoyment and experience. Attractions are a central element in terms of what tourists visit at destinations as well as being something they may visit en route to a destination. As Swarbrooke (2000: 262) suggested ‘visitor attractions are at the heart of the tourism industry, they are motivators that make people wan to take a trip in the first place’. In many respects, they are the lifeblood of a destination, because they are part of the appeal, ambience and overall experience that visitors seek to consume in areas they visit. One of the major problems in identifying attractions is that they are patronized by tourists, but in terms of the scale and volume of visits, they are dominated by leisure and day trippers as well as local residents. In this respect the market for attractions is large and forms a vital part of the infrastructure of the destination area. For example, in Kyoto, Japan (the country’s ancient capital), the cultural infrastructure provided by 1600 ancient buddhist temples help attract 40 million visits a year to the city. Some 17 ancient temples are UNESCO World Heritage sites, with Toji Temple receiving 4 million visits a year.
