Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
and secondary elements which consist of
• the supporting facilities and services which tourists consume during their visit (e.g.
hotel and catering outlets and shopping facilities) which shape the visitors' experience
of the services available in the city
• additional elements which consist of the tourism infrastructure that conditions the visit,
such as the availability of car parking, tourist transport provision and accessibility and
tourist-specific services (e.g. visitor information centres and tourist signposting).
Shaw and Williams (1994) rightly argue that
while such an approach allows a systematic consideration of the supply
side of urban tourism, it is not without its difficulties. For example, in
many cities, the so-called secondary elements of shops and restaurants
may well be the main attractions for certain groups of visitors.
(Shaw and Williams 1994:202)
Nevertheless, the supply-side variables within the context of the urban tourism system
help in understanding the interrelationships between supply and demand and the
interaction between the consumers and the products. In this respect, it is also useful to
identify what aspect of the 'leisure product' tourists consume; some may consume only
one product (e.g. a visit to an art gallery) while others may consume what Jansen-
Verbeke (1988) terms a 'bundle of products' (i.e. several products during their stay such
as a visit to a theatre, museum and a meal in a restaurant).
Jansen-Verbeke (1986) examined this concept within the inner-city tourism system to
identify the nature of tourists visiting the inner city and the organisations responsible for
the promotion of the inner city as an area for tourists to visit. The role of organisations
promoting urban areas for tourism is discussed in more detail in Chapter 6, but to explain
Jansen-Verbeke's (1986) analysis it is useful to consider the relationship which she
believes exists between the product, the tourist and the promoter. Promoters affect the
relationship in two ways:
• they build an image of the inner city and its tourists' resources to attract potential
tourists, investors and employers
• the promotion of the inner city may also lead to direct product improvement.
Consequently, the model that Jansen-Verbeke (1986) constructs (Figure 3.5) illustrates
how different elements of the inner-city tourism system are interrelated and the
significance of the inner city as a leisure product. However, the public and private sector
have distinct roles to play in this context.
