A tourism product is perishable in the sense that, unlike a can of beans, it cannot be stored away for future sale if it does not sell the first time (Weaver and Lawton, 2006, p. 207). Tourists, for example, may stay away from a seaside resort when the weather is bad in a season when the weather is usually good. During this period of downturn the high capital costs at the destination (for example, the hotel and contrived attractions) still remain. The seasonal nature of tourism at some destinations is a problem that challenges the management of tourism.

Multiple Uses

Components of the tourism product may be used by both the tourists and the population of the host society. According to Cooper et al (1993, p. 82), the tourists are not always welcome users of the local facilities. In rural areas, for example, farmers complain of tourists who travel on their farmland and fail to shut the gates on the property. In Bali, there were complaints about water shortages in Denpasar because the elite resort, Nusa Dua, seemed to be getting more than its fair share of water.

Variability

Interaction between producers and consumers of the tourism product is unique experiences because they are subject to the potential for the unpredictability of the human beings involved in the encounter (Weaver and Lawton, 2006, p. 206). It is necessary that there should be uniformity in the quality of the various components of the tourism product at the destination. This is difficult because of the diversity of the components and their providers.

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