Concept of Product Development of Tourist Destination

1) Commodity products: These are tangible products (with specific shapes) that tourism businesses provide such as: food, drinks, souvenirs and other goods sold in tourism businesses. This is the type of product that after the exchange, the ownership will belong to the payer. Among commodity products, souvenirs are a special type of product, they have a special spiritual meaning for customers who come from other localities and other countries. Therefore, tourism businesses often pay close attention to including these products in their business activities.

2) Service products (products in intangible or non-material form): Are intangible or spiritual service values (or can also be an experience, a feeling of satisfaction or dissatisfaction) that customers agree to pay for. Specifically:

- Transportation services: To take visitors from their residence to tourist destinations, between tourist destinations and within a tourist destination. To perform this service, people use means of transport such as: airplanes, cars, trains, ships...

- Accommodation and food services: To ensure tourists have a place to eat and rest during their trip. Tourists can choose one of the following options: hotel, motel, guesthouse, friend's house... In addition, the creation of accommodation services also includes renting land for camping and similar forms.

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- Entertainment services: This is an indispensable part of the tourism product. Tourists want to achieve the highest level of enjoyment during their trip. To satisfy, they can choose many different options: sightseeing, sightseeing, going to historical sites, watching art performances, casinos...

- Shopping services: Shopping is also a form of entertainment, and for many tourists, buying souvenirs for the trip is indispensable.

- Intermediary and additional services: Services of collecting and arranging individual services into a complete tourism product; retail services of tourism products (providing information and retailing tourism products to customers); repair and medical services...

Although tourism products exist in both the form of goods and services, most of the goods are produced in the form of services when sold to customers (the time and space of production and consumption are the same).

Therefore, many researchers believe that tourism products are services. Therefore, tourism business activities belong to the service business sector [ 10 ].

2.1.3. Products of tourist destinations

The products of a tourist destination include tangible and intangible values that meet the needs of tourists for sightseeing, relaxation, and exploration at the destination. The products of a tourist destination are also understood as a synthesis of attractive attractions, the ability to provide tourism goods/services for the needs of tourists. These products create the value, image, brand, and attractiveness of the tourist destination for tourists [ 65 ]. Thus, in terms of the nature of the products of a tourist destination, they are a collection of attractions and necessary goods and services to satisfy the needs of tourists during the journey. The products of a tourist destination include many factors, of which there are 3 main factors: 1) Attractive points ; 2) Infrastructure and technical facilities for tourism ; 3) Goods and services of the destination .

Absorption point

guide

Infrastructure

and tourism facilities

Goods and services

of destination

Figure 2.4. Products of tourist destinations

Source: UNWTO (2007), A Practical Guide to Tourism Destination Management and self-compilation by the researcher.

1) Attraction is an important product of a tourist destination that has the ability to attract tourists to come and experience. The name, image, and uniqueness of an attraction are the perceived ability to create the demand factor of the destination and have a decisive influence on tourists' choice of destination. For example, the Pyramids (Egypt), the Great Wall (China), the Arc de Triomphe (France), Ha Long Bay, Hue Imperial City, Hoi An Ancient Town, My Son Sanctuary (Vietnam)... The attraction of a destination is due to the attractiveness of the destination to tourists. The attractiveness of a destination is highly synthetic, often determined by the uniqueness and specialness of natural and human tourism resources that create attractive highlights; quantity and quality

The quality of resources; the ability to meet many types of tourism and the scale of the destination. Therefore, the tourism resource system becomes a resource factor, an important basic attribute that creates the attractiveness and value of the product, also known as the attraction of the destination for tourists. One of the attractive attributes of the destination is the heritage that plays a decisive role, is the " attraction " in the development of the tourism industry.

The attractiveness of natural resources is an important criterion that determines the evaluation of a destination, increasing the attractiveness of the destination, especially for tourists whose main motivation is to travel for relaxation, health, ecology, and adventure. According to Crouch & Ritchie (2000), natural beauty and climate are important factors in determining the attractiveness of a global destination. The attractiveness of natural resources is created by the quantity and quality of natural tourism resources; the richness, popularity, distinctiveness, uniqueness, class, and novelty of these resources and the ability to develop different types of tourism. The attractiveness of cultural resources is reflected in the quantity and quality of cultural resources, the impressiveness, distinctiveness, uniqueness, class, and novelty of cultural resources, especially world cultural heritages. That increases the attractiveness of tourists whose motivation for the trip is to learn and experience the tangible and intangible cultural values of the tourist destination product [ 44 ].

2) Tourism infrastructure and technical facilities are indispensable prerequisites to create tourist destination products.

- Infrastructure includes the transportation system, communication system, electricity and water systems of the tourist destination. Tourism is associated with the movement of people within a certain range. This depends closely on the transportation system. A tourist destination may be attractive to tourists but still cannot be exploited without the transportation factor. Transportation is a part of economic infrastructure, however, currently there are a number of means of transportation produced with the main purpose of serving tourism. Communication is an important part of the infrastructure serving tourism. It is a necessary condition to ensure communication for domestic and international tourists. In tourism activities, if the transportation network and means of transportation serve the travel of people, then communication is responsible for transmitting news quickly and promptly, contributing to transactions between tourists and suppliers.

services. Especially, in the present era, means of communication are inseparable in all economic and social activities in general and tourism in particular. Tourists are people who leave their regular residence. When leaving their regular residence to another location, in addition to the needs of food, drink, accommodation, travel, etc., tourists also need to ensure electricity and water for their daily activities to take place normally. Therefore, electricity and water are also important factors that directly serve the recreation and relaxation of tourists.

- Tourism technical facilities play a very important role in the process of creating and implementing tourism products as well as deciding the level of exploiting tourism potential to satisfy the needs of tourists. Therefore, the development of a tourist destination is always associated with the construction and completion of technical facilities. The tourist technical facilities of a destination include a system of accommodation, food and beverage, entertainment, sports, shopping centers, medical facilities, etc. Accommodation facilities such as hotels, motels, tourist villages, camping (tents), bungalows, villas, inns. Dining facilities with a system of dining rooms, tea rooms, warehouses, kitchens, equipment, utensils for processing and equipment, utensils for serving guests. Sports facilities, sports centers with many types of specialized equipment such as: swimming pools, racing cars, tennis courts, golf courses, horse racing tracks, etc. Medical and health care facilities serving medical tourism and providing additional services at destinations. Facilities serving cinemas, clubs, exhibition halls are places to organize events, film screenings, plays, specialized club activities, etc. Other additional service facilities include: gas stations, first aid equipment, sports equipment repair shops, film processing rooms, barber shops, watch repair shops, laundries, post offices, internet services, etc.

3) Goods and services of the destination include tourism programs, package products, souvenirs, consumer goods that tourists buy from service providers, travel agencies according to different types of tourism... The service system at the destination is suitable for many types of guests, including: diverse, convenient, classy accommodation services; food services with a variety of delicious and hygienic dishes; fast, safe, low-cost transportation services; sightseeing services; convenient conference and exhibition services; services to participate in festivals, theme parks; services to watch art performances, shopping services, walking around the streets, night markets; services

beauty and health care services; night entertainment services with bars, clubs, casinos, cinemas; conservation area exploration services; sports and adventure services (golf, volleyball, tennis, fishing, aerial performances, scuba diving, kayaking, mountain climbing); beach bathing services; and a number of other services. A diverse, available, unique, quality, reasonably priced and competitive tourism product system will significantly influence tourists' choice of destination, helping their activities at the destination become more effective. The limitation of the service system affects the growth or decline of most destinations [ 44 ].

The services of tourist destination products are very diverse. Normally, each tourism service business only provides one or a few individual tourism products. Meanwhile, the needs of tourists require a complete product including many individual products that are reasonably linked together, suitable for the consumption characteristics of each tourist group. Therefore, the concept of tourist destination products must be understood in the sense of a complete overall product, not each individual product. When referring to the products of a tourist destination, it is impossible not to mention the quality of that product. The quality of a tourist destination product is a comparison between the feelings and expectations of tourists about the tourism product. Tourist satisfaction is the motto of tourism organizations to encourage tourists to continue to buy and introduce products and services to other tourists while improving the competitiveness and business efficiency of businesses and tourist destinations.

2.1.4. Development of tourist destination products

2.1.4.1. Concept of product development of tourist destinations

" Development " is a term widely used in many fields such as economic development, social development, human resource development, team development...

According to the Vietnamese Dictionary, " development " is: " To change or make changes from little to much, narrow to wide, low to high, simple to complex ". According to the Sino-Vietnamese dictionary, " development " is to expand or grow stronger. According to the Oxford dictionary, " development " is the gradual increase of something in a more progressive and stronger direction. According to the Cambridge dictionary, " development " is the process in which people or things grow or change and become more progressive. From a philosophical perspective, development is a concept that represents the progressive change in both quality, space and time of things and phenomena.

and people in society. Thus, development can be understood as making quantity and quality move in an upward direction in a supportive, complementary relationship to create a sustainable, unified system ; growth is a change in a positive, progressive direction.

In the tourism sector, development is associated with the increase in the quantity and quality of tourism resources, labor resources, technical facilities, infrastructure, tourism products, tourism markets and tourism income. According to Philip Kotler (2003), destination development is through destination marketing activities; product innovation and destination management capacity. Thus, destination development is a process of effectively exploiting the potential values of tourism resources along with conditions of infrastructure, technical facilities and tourism labor to create quality tourism products to meet the needs of the international tourist market; destination management and marketing to create destination images [ 61 ].

From the above approaches, in the process of researching and implementing the thesis, the researcher proposed the concept: Developing tourism destination products is a long-term strategic change based on the impacts and changes of the market to catch up and adapt to future developments, in accordance with goals, visions and expectations; at the same time associated with the increase of tourism products, labor resources, technical facilities, infrastructure, tourism markets and tourism income.

2.1.4.2. Concept of developing new products of tourist destinations

With the rapid changes in customers, technology and competition, every tourist destination cannot rely on existing products alone. Tourists always want and expect new and better products. Therefore, every tourist destination needs to orient its strategy to develop new products.

The process of developing new tourism destination products includes the following five stages: 1) Generating the idea; 2) Screening the idea for feasibility; 3) Evaluating the idea by testing with potential tourists and conducting more detailed financial analysis; 4) Developing a product prototype, testing the product prototype in the market and adapting it to the market if necessary; 5) Commercializing and implementing the product.

Note: ROI - Return On Investment (Return on Investment, Return on Investment Rate or Income on Investment Coefficient)

Figure 2.5. New product development process for tourism destinations

Source: Philip Kotler, John Bowen, James Makens (2003), Marketing for Hospitality and Tourism.

2.1.4.3. Life cycle of tourism destination products

Discover

Local control

direction

Institutionalization

Stop, recover

or reduce

think

stagnation

Recover

Consolidate

Develop

Join

decline

Probe

Number of visitors

The formation and development process of a tourism destination product goes through a cycle similar to the product life cycle, consisting of five distinct stages: exploration, entry, growth, consolidation, stagnation/saturation (decline or rebirth).

Time

Figure 2.6. Life cycle of a tourism destination product

Source: Butler RW (1980), The Concept of a Tourist Area Cycle of Evolution, Implications for Management of Resources, Canadian Geographer.

1) Exploration stage: Small number of tourists attracted by natural and cultural attractions; visitors come mainly from neighboring areas and the number of tourist facilities is limited.

2) Participation stage: Local residents begin to participate in providing some facilities for tourists, initially attracting the tourist market in the region and other parts of the country.

3) Development stage: The number of tourists coming is large; hotel chain organizations appear; tour operators play an important role, tourists can come from regions of the country or internationally.

4) Consolidation stage: Tourism becomes an important part of the local economy and may become a key economic sector. The growth rate of arrivals may have leveled off and some facilities may need upgrading.

5) Stagnation/Saturation Phase: The number of arrivals has peaked, the destination is no longer considered new and can generate high real estate business revenue. Depending on how the destination manager responds, the saturation phase can be followed by different scenarios, including recession or rebirth. Therefore, in the saturation phase, managers need to intervene and take action to avoid recession.

2.2. Research content on product development of tourist destinations

2.2.1. The nature of product development of tourist destinations

In essence, developing tourism products is the increase in the quantity of tourism products and the improvement of the quality of those tourism products. The increase in tourism products is not only an increase in the number of types of products, but also an increase in the territorial space, time and length of time of product sales.

In fact, development can have both an increase or decrease in quantity but does not exclude the possibility that they always change, transforming from one phenomenon into another, the new succeeds the old, the next stage inherits the previous stage and leads to a qualitative change in the direction of increase or decrease. Different from the construction of a normal short-term plan, the strategic development process takes place according to the trend of long-term changes in the environment, not in a straight line, nor in a closed circle but in a " spiral ". " Strategic product development " must start from reality to orient adjustments, changes from low to high, from less perfect to increasingly perfect, from promoting strengths to limiting appropriate existence.

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