Table of Contents
Nature and Characteristics of Tourism Products
Nature of Tourism Product
The nature of tourism product comprises two different types of travel to the destination. These are non-discretionary and discretionary travel.
- Non-discretionary travel: under this undertaking travel is a must and the traveller has to travel to a particular destination and does not have much choice. These are business traveller travelling to attend a conference or a family travelling to their home town for a wedding or a funeral or a student flying back to college etc.
- Discretionary Travel: it is concerned with choice; the traveller can select the destination /attraction and time of travelling, for example, to stay at home and relax, drive to nearby beach resort, or fly to Dubai for a vacation.
Both these travel segments have different needs and wants. For example advertisement will affect the discretionary traveller because of choice. In both discretionary and non-discretionary travel, the nature of tourism product is the purchase of intangible services.
Characteristics/feature of Tourism product:-
- Tourism products are available at the destination. They cannot be moved outside the destination. So the tourist has to be present at the destination for consumption of tourism products.
- Tourism products cannot be brought back with the tourist to his/her home. Only memories of the tourism products in form of photographs, videos can be with the tourist.
- Tourism products cannot be stored. Out of 100 seats there are 80 seats occupied in an airplane from Kathmandu to Mumbai, and then there is loss of revenue for 20 seats for that flight. And this loss can never be recovered.
- Tourism products cannot be owned by the tourist. If you visit Taj Mahal by purchasing the entry ticket, it does not mean you own Taj Mahal.
- Tourism products have to be purchased and then consumed by the buyer at the destination. If one has to enjoy Lakeside of Pokhara, then one has to make booking for hotel, transportation etc. by making payment. Then has to go to Pokhara and enjoy the Lakeside. It cannot be like you can test drive various cars before purchasing one.
- Tourism products are made available by people. So they are highly dependent on people who are providing it. If a guide is unable to give you good commentary on Pashupatinath temple then your visit to Pashupatinath temple will not be successful.
- Tourism products are highly dependent upon the experience of the tourist. So it becomes difficult to measure the level of product quality.
Nature and Characteristics of Tourism Products Nature and Characteristics of Tourism Products Nature and Characteristics of Tourism Products Nature and Characteristics of Tourism Products Nature and Characteristics of Tourism Products
