Niche Tourism

Tourism is a global socioeconomic phenomenon freely used as a generic term to cover a broad continuum of travel-related practices. These comprise tourist activities and experiences serviced by a global industry and host destinations. Although a fragmented industry, it has been traditionally served by large commercial and public sector organizations targeting entire marketplaces, such as specific countries or regions, with “one size fits all” experiences. This mass-market approach overlooks many customer needs in the provision of tourist products and services. This has led to a paradigm shift from mass markets to mass niches. Reflecting an increasingly fragmented industry, tourism businesses are adapting to more demanding specific interests that coalesce into coherent niche tourism markets.

This entry discusses the rise in niche tourism, relevant products, and tourists ...