The peripherality, tourism and competitiveness mix: Contradictory or confirmed?

This chapter illustrates the contribution of peripherality to the competitiveness of tourism in rural regions, using empirical data from two contrasting areas in Scotland: East Ayrshire, a relatively accessible region; and the Shetland Islands, a peripheral region. The objectives are twofold: (1) to demonstrate the extent to which peripherality is associated with characteristics that are positively perceived by consumers; and (2) to explore the degree to which such peripheral characteristics can add value to the tourism product. The Shetland case study, contrasted with East Ayrshire, supports the premise that peripherality and its associated features and experiences, can be important assets in gaining competitive advantage for tourism providers. In comparison, the more accessible East Ayrshire region pays less attention to local identity in selling and promoting its products, and likewise the experiences of the visitors to the East Ayrshire are distanced from the local milieu and, as such, perceptions of the area are not pronounced. Thus it is evident that the embedded resources in Shetland can add value to the tourism product, and that particular destination attributes within Shetland are associated with the perceived distance from the core.