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overall experience consisting of five components.)
Middleton, V.T.C. �1989) `Tourist product', in S.F.
Witt and L. Moutinho �eds), Tourism Marketing and
Management Handbook, Hempel Hempstead: Prentice
Hall, 573±6.
product life cycle
STEPHENL.J.SMITH,CANADA
The concept of a life cycle has been transferred
from biological sciences to economics and
adapted to uses in business management. It
describes the evolution of a product in time,
passing through different stages which require
different marketing strategies. The application
to tourism is not without criticism, because its
product is in the first place the sum of experiences
�from the tourist point of view) and the range of
facilities and attractions in a destination area
�from the suppliers side). The latter application has
inspired much empirical research in tourism.
Product life cycle offers a generally accepted
framework to study and to manage the development
of a destination over time, the physical,
social and economic changes which are induced by
a growing tourist activity.
Further reading
Cooper, C. �1995) `Product lifecycle', in S.F. Witt
and L. Moutinho �eds), Tourism Marketing and
Management Handbook, 2nd edn, Hemel Hempstead:
Prentice Hall, 342±50.
MYRIAM JANSEN-VERBEKE, BELGIUM
product planning
Product planning is the process that tourism
organisations and destinations use to identify,
evaluate and select alternative approaches to
developing or modifying their physical plant or
facilities, festivals and events, equipment, services,
infrastructure and package tours.
Product planning and development is considered
to be one of the four Ps of marketing or the
marketing mix along with promotion, place and
price.
To understand tourism product planning, one
must first study the product. Tourism scholars
have yet to agree on its definition. Most experts
concur that the product includes the physical plant,
natural and cultural resources and sites, built
facilities �hotels, restaurants, built attractions),
equipment and infrastructure. There is also
agreement that service and hospitality,
although not physical items, are part of the tourism
product. Disagreement exists on its more intangible
aspects such as destination image, product
positioning and branding. Many practitioners,
especially those involved in destination marketing,
would include planning that leads to the development
of new package tours. In essence, the product
being planned varies according to the type of
tourism organisation involved.
The process of product planning should be
based on research and a thorough SWOT
analysis. This research and analysis identifies
product gaps in the competitive marketplace and
the need to modernise or otherwise improve the
current product. Customer surveys and focus
groups, competitive analyses, and the use of expert
opinions may be employed to assist in identifying
potential product changes. Specific techniques such
as feasibility studies may be used to determine the
potential viability of new projects such as hotels,
resorts or attractions. Outside consultants may be
contracted to conduct these studies. Another
dimension of this process in tourism is the extent
of involvement of those outside of the organisation
responsible for the planning. At the destination
level, there should be broad community and
industry participation and input into the planning
process. Individual corporations tend to
maintain their competitive advantages.
Further reading
product planning 463
Morrison, A.M. �1996) Hospitality and Travel Marketing,
2nd edn, Albany, NY: Delmar Publishers.
�Provides a comprehensive description of product
development in Chapter 10.)
Smith, S.L.J. �1994) `The tourism product', Annals