Point of interest

Abstract

A point of interest must be all of the following: • Locatable. It must be a geographical space and, therefore, it must be possible to locate it through coordinates on a map. • Geographically limitable. It is possible to establish the space it occupies and define the limits it covers. • Accessible. The space can be enjoyed by tourists and residents, so they must be capable of accessing it. • Visited by tourists. Allowing the access to the place is not enough. There must be a significant number of people who access the place. In addition, it is essential that a significant part of the visit is made for tourism purposes. If the place is visited by residents of the area and not by visitors, it will not be a point of interest (at least not for tourism and hospitality research). On the other hand, if it is visited only by visitors and not by locals, it can be considered as such. • Attractive. The place must generate interest in visitors. In other words, the influx of visitors to the place must be because visitors are attracted to the place itself or because in that place they can enjoy activity. This implies that sites visited for necessity, obligation or en route to the main place of interest are not points of interest.