Tourism resources

Tourism resources

• Tourism resources could be defined as those factors that make it possible to produce a tourism experience and include:

- Tangible resources (facilities, attractions, infrastructure, etc.) - Intangible resources (image, reputation, culture, etc.) - Human resources (skills, motivations, service levels, etc.) - Financial resources

Tangible resources

- The key “attractors” in a destination. This includes tourist attractions, historic sites, beaches, national parks, events, cultural facilities, sporting activities etc. These attractions will be important initially in motivating a visitor to travel to the destination. - Accommodation stock in the destination. This includes accommodation which suits the potential visitor in terms of location, price, quality and type and must be found before the decision to visit is confirmed ( some 50% of visitor expenditure is on accommodation). If suitable accommodation is not found the destination could well not be visited.

- Transport - main roads, rail, sea and air links. Even if the destination has quality attractions and accommodation, visitors will be deterred from visiting if good transport links do not exist

- Other resources - conference facilities which will be important in attracting business visitors

Intangible resources

• The reputation of the destination regarding value for money, service quality, hospitality, etc.

• The image of the destination concerning safety and security, uniqueness of experiences on offer, readiness to receive tourists, etc.

• The culture of the destination e.g. welcoming of tourists, hospitality, lifestyles, etc.

Human resources

• Include:

- Skills, qualifications and experience

- Work ethic.

- Training systems and schemes

Financial resources

• Include:

- Investment capital

- Public capital for services, infrastructure, etc.

- Finances to develop and market tourism, etc.

Tourism resources

• Heritage resources (primary sources) are often the main motivators for stimulating travel to destinations. The world’s most visited attractions are natural features, national parks, World Heritage Sites and other heritage resources.

• Source :

- United Nation World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) 2007

- www.unwto.org