Related to accessibility is the issue of critical mass. While some tourism features
can draw visitors by themselves, more often it is the case that sets of tourism options
and attractions work together to create a cumulative set of opportunities and
experiences so as to draw a wide range of visitors. This becomes increasingly
important over the “life cycle” of tourism areas as new ways need to be found to
reinvigorate tourism experiences, to broaden appeal, and maintain viability.
A fourth key point to a tourism economy is that it too is vulnerable to external
forces such as exchange rates, international events and affairs, weather, seasonality,
etc. (Aramberri and Butler 2005). Where adopted as part of an economic strategy,
most rural and small town places include tourism as one of a suite of economic
activities to support the local community and region (Butler 1998). A final item of
note is that tourism activities, like all social and economic changes, are affected by
public policies and investments (Hall and Jenkins 1998). From land use regulation to
transportation route upgrades, opportunities to mobilize local assets into viable
economic contributors depend upon a supporting policy and investment climate
(Markey et al. 2008).