Tourist trap

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other uses, see Tourist Trap (disambiguation).
A billboard advertising Wall Drug's products
Directional signs to the gift shop and exit, Ripley's Aquarium, Myrtle Beach
"Da Yoopers Tourist Trap" in Upper Michigan

A tourist trap is an establishment (or group of establishments) created or re-purposed with the aim of attracting

tourists and their money. Tourist traps typically provide overpriced services, entertainment, food, souvenirs, and other products for tourists to purchase.[1] Tourist trap derives from the information asymmetry
between tourists and the market.

United States

In some areas, simple facilities may be a sufficient draw to entice tourists to stop. Wall Drug, in South Dakota, began its tourist trade by offering free ice water.[2]

Breezewood, Pennsylvania represents a physical tourist trap at the intersection of Interstate 70 and Interstate 76, where the two major highways are not directly connected, forcing transiting drivers off the interstate and "into several suddenly urban blocks with traffic lights and a dense bazaar of gas stations, fast food restaurants and motels."[3]

fireworks stores. Its mascot is Pedro, a caricature of a Mexican bandido
. South of the Border is known for its roadside billboard advertisements, which begin many miles away, and incorporates a mileage countdown to the attraction itself. The stop has since fallen on hard times as more modern hotel areas have grown along I-95.

Alice's Restaurant, a restaurant in Sky Londa, California named after its founder Alice Taylor, accidentally became a tourist trap after singer Arlo Guthrie released his signature song of the same name, which was based on a totally unrelated Massachusetts restaurant established by Alice Brock. After Taylor sold the restaurant, her successors themed the restaurant after the song, adding a "Group W bench" for example, when they realized the confusion was good for business.[4]

A few establishments take pride in the term and embody it into their names, such as "

Deep Creek Lake, Maryland
.

See also

References

  1. ISBN 0-87011-756-4
    .
  2. ^ "WallDrug.com" (web). The Wall Drug Store got its start during the Depression years by offering Free Ice Water to thirsty travelers. 2007. Retrieved 2008-02-04.
  3. ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved 2017-02-06.
  4. ^ "Highway 35: Alice in Skylonda Land". Skyline Historical Society. Retrieved 2016-06-20.
  5. ^ "Da Yoopers Tourist Trap & Museum" (Web). Ishpeming, Michigan, Business web site. Retrieved 2007-03-21.
  6. ^ "The Tourist Trap" (Web). Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, Business web site. 2003. Retrieved 2007-03-21.
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