‘Consuming’ tourist sites/sights: a note on York

Two perspectives on place-consumption are considered: a ‘business metaphor’ by which the city is viewed as a consumable ‘product’; and a cultural perspective whereby a relationship between tourist site and mythical meaning is theorised. MacCannell's theorised trajectory of discovery, by which tourists progressively seek out the ‘unmarked’ and ‘authentic’, appears to be validated by observation of supplyside visitor attractions in York. A conventional product extension strategy inspired by the ‘business metaphor’ and involving the acquisition of a new ‘icon’ attraction would arguably accelerate the process of commodification, simultaneously eroding the potential for self-authored experience on the part of the tourist. Such a strategy may thus prove incomplete in its capacity to secure the long-term health of tourism in a mature, successful destination.