Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
not all spiritual experiences are related to traditional religions.
Other destinations, such as Nepal, have over time gained a
special spiritual reputation in many parts.
constraints. The piles of broken glass around nightspots in
Spanish seaside resorts following all-night festivities gives
evidence to behaviors not normally engaged in by many of
their U.K. (and other) guests. Since their inception in the
eighteenth century, Mardi Gras in New Orleans and Carnival
in Rio de Janeiro have attracted both residents and visitors
seeking experiences in very specific segments of the market.
The Entertainment Experience
While broad in concept, a
destination may focus on the provision of various types of
entertainment as the basis of its primary market appeal.
London, New York, Las Vegas, Nashville, and Branson,
Missouri, have become classic examples of the providers of
entertainment experiences, but they are certainly not alone.
The essence of this experience is the opportunity for the
destination visitor to observe performances that are either
well known in themselves or presented by well-known
''stars.'' To the extent that a destination can develop a critical
mass of these entertainment experiences, it can position itself
as an entertainment-based destination.
&
The ''Get to Know Your Global Friends'' Experience
This type of experience represents what many feel tourism
should be all about: visitation experiences that encourage the
visitor to get to know members of the host destination. There
are many ways to attempt to achieve this goal, but Ireland has
been offering an approach that many consider to be par
excellence. For years, the Irish Tourist Board has worked with
residents to develop a comprehensive network of homes that
are willing to welcome visitors from around the world to visit
not only the house but also, to a certain degree, household
members. While admittedly (and necessarily) having multiple
dimensions that can be difficult to manage in terms of quality
control, it is a ''risk'' that many visitors consider very
worthwhile. Visit the Web site at
www.irishfarmholidays.com
.
&
The Attractions Experience
Certain attractions can become
so well known that they can provide the basis of the appeal of
an entire destination and indeed may almost become the
totality of the destination (see Chapter 8). Disney World in
Florida is undoubtedly the classic example of an attraction that
many families feel they must ''experience'' at least once in the
lifetime of the family. Indeed, this attraction experience has
become so pervasive that it forms the foundation for most of
the tourism industry in the city of Orlando, Florida. It has
proven popular in other parts of the world with Disney parks
being developed in Japan, France, and Hong Kong.
&
The ''Understand the Real World'' Experience
While
some may interpret this kind of experience as a version of the
adventure experience, it depends on the travelers. This
experience implies visitation to a destination in which the
traveler is not artificially protected from some of the realities
of living that many of the world's residents experience every
day. Visits to many regions of Africa, India, China, and Asia in
which the visitor does not stay in high-quality hotels, eats the
food of the common people, and travels using the local modes
of transportation are not for everyone, but they can provide
memorable lifetime experiences for those in good physical
condition with the right mind-set.
&
The ''Take a Chance'' Experience
More commonly
referred to as gaming or gambling, the ''take a chance''
experience is designed to appeal to those whose adrenaline is
stimulated by the risk taking associated with a broad range of
games of chance. Many well-known destinations owe their
origin and often their continuing existence to the legalization
of activities that 50 years ago were considered both illegal
and immoral. Times have changed, so much that just about
every destination wants to add a gaming component to its
array of attractions. In the meantime, Las Vegas, Atlantic City,
and Monte Carlo continue to maintain their pinnacle positions
as providers of this type of experience. The first two, located
in North America, combine gaming with entertainment. In
contrast, Monte Carlo's European location emphasizes class
and eliteness in appealing to a select market segment.
&
The ''Volunteer'' Experience
A ''volunteer'' experience is a
service-based experience where one helps the host country
build a house or church, for example. It is an interactive
experience between hosts and visitors in which tourists, for
various reasons, volunteer in an organized way to undertake
holidays that might involve aiding or alleviating the material
poverty of some groups in society, the restoration of certain
environments, or research into aspects of society or
environment.
&
The ''No Holds Barred'' Experience
This experience often
has names that are much less socially acceptable. ''Sex
tourism'' was in the past a popular but disguised travel
experience that the World Tourism Organization and some
governments have now explicitly declared undesirable and
even illegal. For many years Club Mediterranee (Club Med)
implied that visitors to certain of its many resorts around the
globe could expect a vacation free of normal social
&
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1.
What travel experiences have you enjoyed?
2.
What experience would you most like to enjoy on your next
vacation? Why?
Search WWH ::
Custom Search