Comparisons of the approach to innovation in tourism and in other service industries: retailing, banking, recreation, etc.
Tourism products are “experience goods” par excellence, validated ex post facto by consumers, who commit their experience to memory and build upon it. This feature seems consistent with the trend towards “customisation”—i.e., “mass production of the made-to-measure”3. In addition, tourism activity is deeply rooted spatially, the stage being set by the surrounding heritage, attractions and lodging facilities. Consumption also has a sequential dimension that affects the quality of the tourist’s overall experience. As a result, reference to the model for retailing can shed light on the manner in which tourism products are distributed and consumed. The tourism industry also involves activities that feature proximity to leisure industries: cultural, sporting and recreational pursuits. Since both are affected by industrialisation approaches, the development of short-term practices, the influence of innovations in urban tourism on the supply of leisure activities (casinos, museums, special events, etc.) accentuate the convergence to the point where it becomes difficult to establish a clear boundary between them.