Why people travel to different places

This study aims at providing an economic explanation fbr the observed varie ty in the actual consumer choice of destinations. Despite its contribution to tourism research, the traditional demand theory Is insufficient to justi fy comprehensively the direction of tourist flows in space and time, mainly because it cannot account for the importance of product differentiation an d corporate power. To address these issues, the Gorman/Lancaster, character istics framework is applied to tourism and a comparative exercise is undert aken in six different fields. The theoretical conclusions are appealing as they match demand and supply, offering a holistic answer to the question of tourist choice and a useful benchmark for further research in the area.