Building visitor attractions in peripheral areas—Can uniqueness overcome isolation to produce viability?

Attractions are a major component of the tourism industry and often exert considerable influence over individual travel priorities. In peripheral areas the uniqueness of attractions becomes an issue of greater significance than in the core, as visitors must allocate additional time and finances to travel greater distances to participate in the experiences on offer vis à vis competing attractions located nearer to the core. This paper considers a range of issues that affect the construction and operation of visitor attractions in the periphery. Issues that are of particular importance are location and access factors, the community, supporting tourism infrastructure and viability. As the isolation factor increases, the scale of the attraction must increase as must its uniqueness factor if it is to achieve and maintain viability. The significance of these factors is illustrated by considering the development of Burra as a heritage tourism attraction located in the near periphery of Adelaide, South Australia.