Five A's of Tourism

 FIVE 'A's OF TOURISM

Tourist destination is a geographical unit which the tourist visits: and where he stays. The success of a tourist destination depends upon the interrelationship of the following five 'A' factors:

    • Attractions

    • Accessibility

    • Accommodation

    • Amenities

    • Activities

Developing a suitable combination of these factors is at the heart of tourism planning.

Attractions

Attractions are key elements that need to be considered in assessing the tourism potential of an area. Attraction means anything that creates a desire in any person to travel in a specific tourist destination. A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, or amusement opportunities.

Some examples include historical places, monuments, zoos, museums and art galleries, botanical gardens, buildings and structures (e.g. castles, libraries, former prisons, sky - scrapers, bridges), national parks and forests, theme parks and carnivals, ethnic enclave communities, historic trains and cultural events.

Attractions are classified basically into four categories which are as follows:

• Natural attractions such as pristine beaches, waterfalls, scenic views, climate, heavy rainfall, snow clad mountains, flora and fauna, islands, etc.

• Human-made attractions such as theme parks, amusement parks, casinos, sports complex, zoo, etc.

• Cultural attractions in the form of fairs, festivals, celebrations, theatre and museums, monuments which depict the history and culture of a country.

• Social attractions where one can meet and interact with the locals at a destination as well as meet friends and relatives.

Accessibility

Accessibility means reach ability to the place of destination through various means of transportation. Transportation should be regular, comfortable, economical and safe. Various means of transportation are airlines, railways, road and water. Globally, air transport dominates the movement of international visitors.

Sometimes modes of transport can be attractions in their own right. Ferries, steam trains and scenic roads with viewing areas both provide access and can be attractions in themselves.

Accommodation

Although day-trippers spend money on consumable items, overnight visitors have a variety of needs, including accommodation, dining and are also more likely to spend on attractions and activities. A variety in style and quality of accommodation in a region provides an important means to increase the economic impact of visitors. There are various types of accommodation ranging from star hotels to budget hotels.

Amenities

Amenities are the services that are required to meet the needs of tourists during their visit to a destination. They include public toilet, signage, retail shopping, restaurant and cafes, visitor information centers, telecommunications, emergency services, drinking water, local transport, automatic teller machines (ATMs), proper garbage and sewage disposal systems, medical facilities, etc., Because many of the amenities are government services delivered by local, state and national agencies, a high degree of co-operation is needed, particularly where tourist services may be seen to be competing with the needs of local residents.

Activities

Activities provide interesting or entertaining diversions for people once they are in the area. Activities add variety and can make a visit more enjoyable, but it is important to understand that they cannot replace attractions. For example, elephant bath, jungle walking, etc. are some of the common activities.

Apart from the classic five 'A's of tourism, we suggest two more 'A's which are extremely vital to the success of any destination.

Awareness

Having the best attractions, access, accommodation and amenities in the world is totally useless if the awareness factor is missing. Awareness in this sense has three meanings. Firstly, the local population must have a positive attitude towards tourism. If the local community sees 'tourists as terrorists', then this will have a negative impact. 

Secondly, those in the front line of tourism, that is, those who directly interface with tourists must have strong, positive attitudes towards tourists. This includes the shops, post offices, road houses and the many other businesses that come in contact with tourists, not just the hotels and restaurants. In all a local community must be made aware of the value of tourism. The third plank in the awareness platform is market awareness. The destination or more importantly, the destination's image must be a strong, positive one and firmly implanted in the tourist's mind.

Affordability

Tourists should be able to afford the trip in terms of transport costs, accommodation charges, entrance fees at attractions and the number of days, which needs to be spent for travel and stay, i.e. they should be able to afford the holiday in terms of time and money.

Tour operators prepare package tours keeping affordability in mind. These group tours work out cheaper than individuals booking their own tickets and making itineraries for themselves.

A successful destination would have a good balance between above-mentioned 'A's and ensure that there is something to see and do for people of different ages and backgrounds so that a large number of tourists visit the place.