Intangibility. Intangibility is one of the five key characteristics of a tourism product. This characteristic refers to the fact that many tourism products are intangible, meaning that they cannot be touched, felt, or seen before they are consumed.
According to the UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organisation), tourism entails the movement of people to countries or places outside their usual environment for personal or business/professional purposes. These people are called visitors.
A successful tourism product must meet three basic factors simultaneously: tourist attractions; facilities and services offered; and physical accessibility to them. Distribution strategies need to be adapted to the type of product marketed. Tourism products can be distributed intensively, exclusively or selectively.
Tourism products and services help visitors explore the destination that they are visiting by offering them the chance to view attractions, shop for souvenirs, take tours, or purchase experiences.
Tourism impacts tourist destinations in both positive and negative ways, encompassing economic, political, socio-cultural, environmental, and psychological dimensions.