The Evolution of Tourism Destination: A Review of Literature

Abstract

Tourism is about places and attractions embedded in the culture, economy and lifestyle of communities. The concept of destination is at the heart of tourism activity, being one of the most important and complex aspects of tourism. There is an intense competition in the tourism sector to establish tourist destinations as the greatest brands in the tourism industry and the fundamental element of any tourism model. This paper aims at presenting the progress of research on tourism destination term by conducting a methodological review on more than fifty research based articles (empirical studies), literature reviews articles, case studies, books, conference proceedings, conceptual papers and so on outlining the importance of the tourism destination concept. The research concludes that there is currently no definition of the term "destination", generally accepted and the concept of tourist destination has evolved mainly because of the increase in competition, the impact of new technologies and the changes in quantitative and behavioural demand. Such a review will provide researchers with a good understanding of the evolution and significance of the concept.