Chapter 07 Visitor Attractions

Chapter 7 Visitor Attractions : 

1 Chapter 7 Visitor Attractions Definition: A visitor attraction is ‘any site that appeals to people sufficiently to encourage them to travel there in order to visit it’ (Holloway 1994).

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2 ‘A visitor attraction is a feature in an area that is a place, venue or focus of activities and does the following things: 1. Sets out to attract visitors/day visitors from resident or tourist populations, and is managed accordingly. 2. Provides a fun and pleasurable experience and an enjoyable way for customers to spend their leisure time. 3. Is developed to realise this potential. 4. Is managed as an attraction, providing satisfaction to its customers. 5. Provides an appropriate level of facilities and services to meet and cater to the demands, needs, and interests of its visitors. 6. May or may not charge an admission for entry.’ Source: Walsh-Heron and Stevens (1990), as cited in Swarbrooke (2005)

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3 Categories of Visitor Attractions Natural Attractions designed for other purpose Man-made (buildings, structures, sites) purpose-built to attract tourists natural Events man-made

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4 Natural Attractions Wildlife parks Nature reserves Flora (plants) and fauna (wildlife) Peatland Forests (including Coillte forests in Ireland)

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5 Man-made attractions (designed for other purposes) Historic properties Castles Churches and Cathedrals, Religious sites Gardens (ca. 40 in Ireland – e.g. Powerscourt) Parks City Parks (e.g. Phoenix Park) Workplaces Birthplaces/Living Places of famous people, e.g. Irish literary greats National Monuments

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6 Man-made attractions (purpose-built to attract tourists) Museums and art galleries Theme parks Leisure attractions

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7 Events (Natural) Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis (Northern and Southern Lights) Geysers (like Old Faithful in California) Winter Solstice (e.g. at Newgrange) Events (Man-made) Festivals Concerts

Irish Festivals : 

8 Irish Festivals Clan Rallies Drama/Theatre Festivals Fairs Film Festivals Gourmet Festivals Parades Children’s Festivals Arts Festivals Opera Festivals Comedy Festivals Celtic Festivals Traditional/Jazz/ Bluegrass Festivals Craft and Food Fairs Poetry and Writing Festivals General Festivals Angling Festivals Walking Festivals Book Festivals Floral Festivals Heritage Festivals

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9 Critical Success Factors 1. The organisation and its resources 2. The product 3. The market 4. The management of the attraction

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10 Regional Spread of Income at Ireland’s Fee-Paying Attractions Dublin 29% South East 14% Midlands East 15% South West 15% Shannon 13% West 11% North West 4%

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11 Types of Attractions Chosen ….by visitors to Ireland’s fee-paying visitor attractions are as follows: Historic Houses and Castles 20% Interpretative Centres/Museums 32% Parks and Gardens 7% Monuments 17% Other Attractions 24%

Top Ten Irish Fee-Paying Visitor Attractions : 

12 Top Ten Irish Fee-Paying Visitor Attractions

Top Ten Irish Non Fee-Paying Visitor Attractions : 

13 Top Ten Irish Non Fee-Paying Visitor Attractions

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14 Seaside Resorts as Attractions British and Irish resorts suffering due to economic affluence of countries Leads to people travelling abroad to warmer climates

Sports as Attractions : 

15 Sports as Attractions Participative or Spectator tourists Efforts to encourage sporting events Special Olympics 2003 Ryder Cup 2006 Impact of London 2012 Summer Olympics

Problems with Visitor Attractions : 

16 Problems with Visitor Attractions Overcrowding, delays & queues Lack of parking Lack of cleanliness Poorly trained/rude staff High admission fees Maturity