Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
framework in which to understand how urban destinations attract visitors, with different
markers and nuclei to attract specific groups of visitors. Having examined the
significance of different approaches towards the analysis of tourism supply in urban
areas, attention turns to the significance of different components of Jansen-Verbeke's
leisure product and tourism destinations.
TOURIST FACILITIES
Among the 'secondary elements' of the leisure product in urban areas, four components
emerge as central to servicing tourist needs (Jansen-Verbeke 1986). These are
• accommodation
• catering facilities
• tourist shopping
• conditional elements.
Accommodation
Tourist accommodation performs an important function in cities: it provides the
opportunity for visitors to stay for a length of time to enjoy the locality and its attractions,
while their spending contributes to the local economy. Accommodation forms a base for
the tourists' exploration of the urban (and non-urban) environment. The tendency for
establishments to locate in urban areas is illustrated in Figure 3.8, which is based on
thetypical patterns of urban hotel location in west European cities (Ashworth 1989; see
also the seminal article on urban hotel location by Arbel and Pizam 1977). Figure 3.8
highlights the importance of infrastructure and accessibility when hotels are built to serve
specific markets, i.e. the exhibition and conference market will need hotels adjacent to a
major conference and exhibition centre, as Law (1996) emphasised. The accommodation
sector within cities can be divided into serviced and non-serviced sectors (Figure 3.9).
Each sector has developed in response to the needs of different markets, and a wide
variety of organisational structures have emerged among private sector operators to
develop this area of economic activity. As D.G.Pearce (1989) notes, many large chains
and corporations now dominate the accommodation sector, using vertical and horizontal
forms of integration to develop a greater degree of control over their business activities
(see McVey 1986 for a more detailed discussion).
