Comprehensive coverage of the Visitor attractions in the Caribbean

1. Visitor
Attractions

2. Defining visitor attractions
 Where the main purpose is sightseeing. The attraction
must be a permanent established excursion
destination, a primary purpose of which to is to allow
access for entertainment, interest or education; rather
than being primarily a retail outlet or a venue for
sporting, theatrical or film performances.(VisitScotland
2004: 8)

3. Defining visitor attractions
 It must be open to the public, without prior
booking, for published periods each year, and
should be capable of attracting tourist as well
as local residents. In addition, the attraction
must be a single business , under a single
management, so that it is capable of
answering the economic questions on
revenue, employment……… (VisitScotland
2004: 8)

4. Defining visitor attractions
 What limitations have you identified in the
definition?

5. Defining visitor attractions
 According to Pearce (1991: 46) “A tourist
attraction is a named site with specific human
or natural feature which is the focus of the
visitor and management”

6. Man-made qttractions
 These are infrastructures constructed with a
view to attract view to attract visitors.
Experiences are determined by the product
that us offered. For example Outameni,
Devon House, Bob Marley Museum etc

7. Natural Attractions
 Usually geographic features such as
mountains, rivers, waterfalls, volcanoes and
beaches that occur naturally without the
intervention of man. Built structures in and
around natural attractions used to manage
access to these structures may be present.
Natural attractions may be managed ( Fort
Clarence Beach ) or left in a natural state
(Blue Mountains)

8. Events as attractions
 These are infrastructures constructed with a
view to attract view to attract visitors.
Experiences are determined by the product
that us offered. For example Outameni,
Devon House, Bob Marley Museum etc

9. Visitor attractions- product
considerations
 Visitor Attractions offer both products and
experiences. Kotler’s (1994) view is that
products consist of three levels ; core product;
tangible product and augmented product.
Swarbrooke (2002) argued that it may be
applied to a visitor attraction setting.

10. Swarbrooke (2002) interpretation
of a visitor attraction as a product
1. The core product is the central component and
comprises the main benefits that will be
identified by the visitor as the motivation for
visiting.
2. Tangible aspect: whatever the visitor can
purchase for e.g. souvenirs at the attraction
3. Augmented: additional services a visitor receives
and makes up the total product.

11. Attractions as a leisure product
Primary Elements Secondary
Elements
Activity place
Leisure interest facilities
• Guided walks
• Exhibitions
• Routes
• Self guided tours
• Events and festivals
Physical Features
The Great House
Lawns
Children’s play area
Physical characteristics
• Design
• Landscape
• Architecture
• Garden features
Social Features
• Welcome
• Friendliness
• Helpfulness
• Ability to answer
questions
• Ambience
• Health and safety
considerations
• Gift Shops
• Ice cream
shops
• Restaurant
• Bakery
• Confectionary
Additional
Elements
• Accessibility
• Car parking
• Signposting
• Leaflets
• information

12. The visitor experiences at
attractions: Key influences
 Yale (1997) states that the success of a tourist
attraction lies in four critical areas
1. Accessibility
2. Opening hours
3. On-site amenities, such as parking, visitor
centre, signs and labels, shops, guides,
refreshments, toilets, litter bins, seating and
disabled provisions
4. Off-site amenities, such as signposting, local
accommodation and local services

13. The visitor experiences at
attractions: Key influences
 Swarbrooke (2002) identified four key factors
that influence the success of attractions
1. The organization and its resources
2. The product
3. The market
4. The management of the attraction

14. The visitor experiences at
attractions: Key influences
 Swarbrooke (2002) asserts that a range of elements
affect the visitor experience on site beyond the core
focus of the attraction. These elements include;
a. The tangible elements of the product such as retail
outlets, cafes, toilet facilities and site cleanliness)
b. The Service delivery element including the
appearance, attitudes, behaviour and competence of
staff, the expectation, behaviour and attitude of the
visitor and a number of factors that are largely outside
the control of either the attraction or visitor .

15. The management of the attraction-
Swarbrooke (2002)
 experienced professional managers
 Adequate attention to market research
 Realization that marketing is not just about
brochures and adverts
 Long term strategic view
 Accepting the importance of word-of-mouth
 Planned marketing strategy with proper financing
 Staff training

16. Types of Attractions
(i) Museum
(ii) galleries;
(iii) national parks;
(iv) cultural attractions;
(v) heritage/historical sites;
(vi) sporting.

17. The importance of Visitor
Attractions as pull factors
 They are catalyst for growth in the tourism
industry and increase spending in a locality which
did not historically have a highly developed
tourism sector.
 Diversifies a countries tourism offering, attracting
a wide cross section of visitors thereby increasing
earning potential.
 It can encourage regular and repeat visits, this is
more cost effective than seeking new visitors.
 It provides a vital element for visitors’ enjoyment
and experience

18. The importance of Visitor
Attractions as pull factors
 They are the motivators for trips and holidays to
any particular destination.
 Provides a vital nucleus for visitor spending in
destinations.
 When they are linked to regeneration strategies
for example Devon House, the Bob Marley
Museum and the National Gallery are a part the
Jamaica Heritage Tour. This provides opportunity
to create a new image and help reposition the city
as a place to visit.

19. Visitor Management Strategies
Measures designed to influence visitor behaviour,
in order to mitigate impacts, seek to change users’
attitudes and behaviour, in order to mitigate
impacts, seek to change users’ attitudes and
behaviour, and even out the distribution of visits
between heavily and lightly used sites.
1. Carry Capacity: The amount of visitors an
attraction can comfortably accommodate at any
given time without causing harm to the
environment or without creating management
problems.

20. Visitor Management Strategies
 In order to prevent attractions from exceeding
their carrying capacity a study must be
conducted to determine what should be the
carrying capacity.
 Measures are also taken to ration use of the
facility by controlling tourist numbers; this often
requires advanced reservations, different
pricing strategies and queuing.

21. Visitor Management Strategies
 Codes of Conduct: The behaviour of some tourists
requires monitoring and so guidelines have been created
by attractions facilities to keep behaviour at acceptable
levels. For example in Venice the Tourist Code of
Conduct outlines what is acceptable and unacceptable
behaviour. For example;
1. Visitors should obtain a may and look beyond the iconic
attractions.
2. Tourists should keep to the right in the streets to help
reduce congestion and to improve the flow of people

22. Visitor Management Strategies
3. Lying down in public places is prohibited
4. Sitting or lingering on the street, or eating picnic
lunches
5.Throwing litter on the floor
6. Swimming in the canals or in the St. Marks Bay area
7. Riding bicycles or other vehicles in the city
8. Performing unsafe or bothersome activities.
9. Undressing in public places
10. Walking about the city shirtless or in bathing
costumes.
ANY BREACH OF THESE RULES WILL BE RECEIVE a
50 EUROS FINE.

23. Trends and Issues.