A tourism product is a composite product consisting of several tangible and intangible components that enable a tourist to be engaged in a specific activity at one or several destinations. It is a combination of natural, cultural, and man-made resources, attractions, facilities, services, and activities around a specific center of interest that represents the core of the destination marketing mix and creates an overall visitor experience, including emotional aspects for potential customers. A tourism product is priced and sold through distribution channels, and it has a life-cycle.
Tourism products include all services or experiences that are offered primarily to tourists in the destination they are visiting, such as accommodations, restaurants, fishing trips, hunting excursions, aurora tours, sightseeing trips, museums, cultural centers, arts and crafts stores, or Indigenous cultural experiences. Every element in a tourism product is delivered by a single supplier service or facilities like tour operators, airline companies, hotels, and resorts, etc. .
Tourism products can be studied on the basis of three important elements: attraction, accessibility, and accommodation. The types of tourism products include:
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Tourism Oriented Products (TOP): These are the products and services created primarily for tourists and also for locals. These products need a great share of investments in the private sector. Examples include accommodations, transportation, retail travel agents, tour operators, shopping centers, cinema theaters, etc. .
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Residents Oriented Products (ROP): These are the products and services created primarily for the residents of a destination. Examples include schools, hospitals, parks, etc. .
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Excursionist Products: These are the products and services created for people who travel to a destination for a short period, usually less than 24 hours. Examples include restaurants, museums, theaters, etc. .
