Niche Tourism

Marina Novelli

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2007
• ISBN:
  9781136376160
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Economía
• Subtopic: Microeconomía

Niche Tourism examines one of the fastest growing areas within the tourism sector. This book provides an integrated picture of speciality/niche tourism as a whole looking at both the 'macro' and 'micro' niche area. It has a comprehensive theoretical framework, and discusses initiatives, policies and strategies adopted internationally. With an emphasis on linking theory to practice, it is underpinned by up-to-date international case studies from around the world.Divided into 3 parts, it covers a variety of aspects under the headings of special interest tourism, tradition and culture base tourism and activity-based tourism.

Part I Part Ispecial Interest Tourism

The tourism patterns previously highlighted have led to the rise of what is commonly recognised as ‘special interest tourism’ (see also Hall, C.M. and Weiler, B. 1992, Special Interest Tourism, London: Belhaven Press; Douglas, N., Douglas, N. and Derret, R. 2001, Special Interest Tourism, Brisbane: Wiley). The tourism consumption process has become increasingly based on an advanced level of travelling experiences and on a selective and knowledgeable set of choices of destinations according to particular needs and interests. The desire for new locality and authentic products becomes part of the motivation of visiting a place. The past and the present of those places are part of the unique experience sought by the tourist. Special interest tourism may be defined as a form of tourism which involves consumers whose holiday choice is inspired by specific motivations and whose level of satisfaction is determined by the experience they pursue. These elements will be reflected in the chapters presented in this part of the book, highlighting a variety of theoretical issues, practically explaining needs and wants of certain customers and discussing case studies on special interest tourism. ‘Photography’, ‘geology’, ‘youth’, ‘dark’, ‘genealogy’, ‘gastronomy’ and ‘transport’ will be the main themes of this section offering an extremely interesting international perspective and a rich set of inputs for future further discussion.

Photographic Tourism Shooting the Innocuous, Making Meaning of Tourist Photographic Behaviour

Catherine Palmer and Jo-Anne Lester

DOI: 10.4324/9780080492926-1

Introduction

Edensor (1998: 128) has described the iconic image of the tourist easily identified by the prominent existence of a camera as a ‘banal and familiar’ sight. The stereotypical image of tourists taking pictures of all that they encounter highlights the ongoing relationship between photography and tourism; a relationship that can be traced back to the significant technological developments of the nineteenth century which saw the invention of photography closely followed by key advancements in travel and tourism. Within the tourism literature there is much debate about this relationship (Chalfen, 1979; Cohen et al., 1992; Crawshaw and Urry, 1997; Osborne, 2000) and indeed it has been stated that travel is the ‘search for the photogenic’ (Urry, 1990: 139) or as Sontag puts it ‘a strategy for accumulating photographs’ (1977: 9). The interrelationship between tourism and photography is also evident when one looks at the forecasted expenditure for consumer spending on photographic equipment. Key Note (1999) estimated that in the UK £2,366m were going to be spent on photographic equipment in 2003, and that a large part of this figure is attributable to tourism; however, no confirmation of this is yet available.

Given the above comments, this chapter examines the current state of the market for specialist photographic holidays, and discusses some of the main issues and challenges to be faced. Relevant demand and supply factors will be considered together with the key motivational indicators underpinning the market for this type of tourism. Case studies of two specialist companies will be presented to illustrate the scope and diversity of this niche sector. Operational issues for management will be discussed such as environmental and socio-cultural impacts, codes of conduct and relevant ethical concerns pertaining to the taking of photographs.

Defining Photographic Holidays as a Niche Tourism Product

One of the first challenges to be faced in any investigation of the market for photographic holidays is that of definition. It is necessary to make a distinction between those types of tourism where the act of photography plays a supportive or ancillary role, and those types of tourism where the whole purpose of the trip is geared around the need to take photographs. This distinction is important because the second example requires a distinct response from the tourism industry in terms of facilities offered relevant to tourist needs and expectations. It is difficult to assess the size, scope and economic value of this type of tourism because the taking of photographs is seen as part and parcel of what all tourists do and not as a reason for travelling in its own right. So, while some forms of tourism can be easily measured (for example, business tourism, visiting family and friends, cruise tourism), limited analysis can be made of photographic holidays because it is not yet seen as a distinct market.

Derret describes special interest tourism as ‘the provision of customised leisure and recreational experiences driven by the specific expressed interests of individuals and groups’ (2001: 3). Mintel (2002) state that these specific interests frequently embrace inert activities centred on specific pastimes. This is interesting as photographic holidays have evolved out of the pastime, or hobby, of taking photographs. Hence, a shared interest in photography unites members of a tour group, photographic tips are exchanged, tour guides offer expert advice and select photographic opportunities based on their ability to intensify the photographic activity. While such elements are common to nearly all photographic holidays there are various types of photographic holidays; for example, the photographic safari and guided photo-shoots of landscapes, flora, attractions and people. Some tours are unique in that they combine photographic opportunities at selected destinations with technical tuition and photographic workshops covering subjects as diverse as photographic analysis and historical and anthropological issues.

While acknowledging the fact that photography is an element of most holidays, companies specializing in photographic tours differentiate themselves by emphasizing the specific features of the trip, such as the opportunity to engage in the act of photography; the photographic subjects; personal tuition or workshops; and the provision of services unique to the holiday such as the inclusion of professional nature photographers as team leaders or as ‘resident experts’ accompanying the tour. Although the sharing of expertise and tuition from professionals is a key aspect of many tours it does mean that relatively small numbers of people can be accommodated at any one time. This has the effect of pushing up the cost of this type of holiday, which reinforces the exclusivity label often associated with niche products.

The above illustrates some of the issues involved in establishing a clear definition of what separates a holiday where photography is a common activity for tourists, from a holiday where the focus and purpose is to take photographs. This, coupled with the extensive selection of special interest holidays that exist both in the domestic and overseas market, contributes to the challenges for those endeavouring to calculate accurately the size and scope of the sector for photographic tours.

Measuring the Market Estimate

It is calculated that over one-third of UK consumers have, at some stage in their lives, participated in a special interest holiday, and estimated figures for 2002 showed that some nine million special interest holidays would have been taken by British consumers (Mintel, 2002); however, no recent data are available to confirm this. Within the UK market this represents an overall rise in demand for these types of holidays of 17% since 1996 (Mintel, 2002). However, it is difficult to measure the extent to which photographic holidays have contributed to this percentage increase because Mintel places special interest holidays into several sub-categories. Photographic holidays appear in the category labelled arts participation. This category includes not only photographic holidays but also activities involving music, poetry and crafts. Moreover, Mintel (2002) forecasts that by 2006 the special interest holiday market will have risen by an overall 10%. While this may serve as a positive indicator of growth in this sector, there is still limited data easily available that accurately measures the market for photographic holidays. It is therefore difficult to determine the growth and economic value of this market and as a consequence obtain a clear picture of the operators involved in providing photographic holidays. It is interesting that given what appears to be a general shift from mass homogenized tourism to that of consumers seeking a more individualized, flexible holiday experience (Mowforth and Munt, 1998) the industry is somewhat myopic in its approach to the analysis of such tourism products. There appears to be a focus on the more visible tourism products such as business tourism, visiting family and friends and cruise tourism at the expense of the less visible but still highly significant niche sectors in the industry. Table 1.1 provides examples from the current provision of photographic holidays.

Table 1.1 Examples of photographic holidays

Light and Land: Landscape and Wildlife Photographic Tours	Web address: www.lightandland.co.uk
Operators of landscape and wildlife photographic tours. Described as the ‘perfect blend of holiday and hobby’ the company operates overseas in destinations ranging from Portugal, Tuscany and Venice to further afiel...