Niche tourism: The Future Of Travel

Dark tourism, volunteer tourism, slow tourism, space tourism, agritourism. What do all of these types of tourism have in common? They are all examples of niche tourism. Niche tourism is a term that I hear thrown around a lot these days. But what actually is niche tourism? Well, the truth is that it's not one type of tourism. It's a collective term used to group together a number of different types of tourism that can all be classified as niche. In other words, it's an umbrella term. Confused? Well, don't be. It's actually really simple and I'm going to explain why in today's video. If you are new here, my name is Dr Hayley Stainton and I am here to educate you all about the tourism industry and how to be a better tourist. So what does the term niche actually mean? Before we can understand what niche tourism is, we first need to understand what is meant by the word niche. Niche, which is pronounced niche in the UK or niche in the US, refers to an area or a position that is suitable for a group of small people. It's an adjective and niche can refer to a number of things, including products, services and interests. So in the context of tourism, niche products or services are tourism products or services that are designed for select specialist groups of people. Niche tourism is the antithesis of mass tourism. It is the opposite of large group tours, all-inclusive holiday resorts and over-tourism. You may also hear other terms floating around that mean pretty much the same thing, such as specialist tourism, special interest tourism or alternative tourism. So why has niche tourism become so popular? Niche tourism has grown in popularity a lot in recent years. This growth is owed to the way that we have changed as consumers. People have become more sophisticated in their wants and their needs. We know what we want and that's what we want. The one-size-fits-all traditional package tourism model no longer suits. Around the globe, people have become more globalised and more educated. We want more than an ice pool and some evening cocktails from our holidays nowadays. People want adventure and culture and education. And we can access these things through niche tourism. So just to make sure that you fully understand exactly what niche tourism is, I'm going to give you a few examples of types of tourism that are classified as niche. Adventure tourism, which is tourism that's focused on adventure activities. Agritourism, tourism which is based around farmyard activities and agriculture. Cruise tourism, which is tourism that involves taking a cruise. Whether this be a huge cruise or a small sailing boat. Cultural tourism, which is all about learning about other cultures and heritage. Dark tourism, which is all about visiting places that are associated with death and sadness. Ecotourism, which is all about tourism that is ecologically friendly. Educational tourism, where the point is that we are going to learn. And rural tourism, which is when we go on a holiday that is based in a rural area. So why is niche tourism a good thing? Niche tourism is often viewed as being a more positive form of tourism than mass tourism and traditional forms of tourism. This is because it generally involves smaller numbers of tourists who usually leave less of a footprint. In fact, it is often associated with sustainable tourism and responsible tourism. Rightly or wrongly, some advantages of niche tourism include the fact that it is less damaging to the environment compared to traditional forms of tourism. Tourists come in smaller numbers. Tourists tend to be more courteous and more respectful. Niche tourists often pay more than mass tourists and there is typically a genuine interest in the local area and the local people. Of course, these things are not a given because there are so many different types of tourism that come under that niche tourism umbrella. But that gives you an idea at least. And as always in the tourism industry, it's not perfect. So what are the disadvantages of niche tourism? There are also disadvantages of niche tourism and the main issue is the small size of businesses and an inherent over-reliance on tourism. Some of the things that are commonly noted include a lack of alternative revenue streams where businesses and areas rely too much on the tourism as their main source of income. Too many visitors that start to come and it moves away from niche to becoming more like a mass form of tourism. Niche tourism businesses can sometimes take business away from elsewhere. For example, people may give up their traditional jobs on the farm to go and work in the tourism industry. Whilst niche tourism does generally have a good reputation, not all niches are environmentally friendly. Such as golf tourism, which is renowned for using up huge amounts of water that often should go to the local people. Small visitor numbers means that economic benefits are often limited and the tourism industry in that area might not make as much money as a mass tourism approach would. And niche tourism activities can come in and out of fashion and popularity. So really, it's actually a misconception that niche tourism is a better form of tourism. Because that's not necessarily the case. In fact, it all comes down to the way that it's managed and the way that it's run. The key here is to have sustainable tourism management. Whether it's golfing tourism, whether it's a diving holiday business, whether it's volunteer tourism or whatever the niche might be. And if you have liked this video, don't forget to give me a big thumbs up.