Innovative and Competitive: A Systematic Literature Review on New Tourism Destinations and Products for Tourism Supply

Abstract

New tourism destinations and product supply are increasingly popular strategies among industry players to create competitiveness. The tourism industry has become more vibrant since globalization merged with technological changes, thus influencing human travel movements, lifestyles, and current trends. The purpose of the study was to systematically review and analyse the elements of new tourism destination products and the importance of sustaining the tourism industry. The following five primary methodological steps were used in the review processes: review protocol; formulation of research questions; systematic searching strategies based on identification, screening, and eligibility on Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus databases; quality appraisal and data extraction; analysis. Seven major themes were discovered, based on the thematic analysis: (a) Responsibilities and involvement, (b) Geography and resources, (c) Innovation, (d) Diversification, (e) Trend and travel pattern, (f) Sustainability, and (g) Marketing. The findings provide academics with a basic reference in scientific and design-related frameworks for examining new destinations and tourism products. The study also offers a guide for destination operators and industry stakeholders to be adopted for future destination development and management.

1. Introduction

Tourism has grown to be the most important economic activity in the world during the second half of the twentieth century. The World Tourism Organisation (WTO) and World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) reported that the tourism sector generates approximately 11% of the global gross domestic product (GDP) and consistently employs over 200 million people in the global workforce. Furthermore, the tourism industry is predicted to be one of the few businesses that continue to expand at a significant rate (approximately 5% per year) and create future job opportunities. Hence, tourism is now an essential vehicle for regional and national development and a major contributor to the local economy in various countries and regions [1,2]. Due to this, local authorities and industry players actively plan and upgrade existing resources to create new tourism destinations and products for long-term competitive advantage without neglecting any element contributing to sustainable development. Sustainability ensures a product’s longevity when developed in a way that minimises negative impacts on the resources while continuing to attract visitors [3]. Ref. [4] stated that the existence of tourism depends on the availability of resources that can be supplied through appropriate distribution, the level of development, and the marketability based on its tourist market. The destinations supplied to tourists are evaluated to determine the direction of future investment to influence visitors or to promote repeat visits to a destination [5]. According to [4,6], destinations are often regarded in the context of tourism supply holding power as a pull factor in attracting tourists [5], and which influence tourists on ‘where to go’, ‘how long to stay’, and ‘what to do’.

Tourism product diversity is crucial to colour the industry. Ref. [7] mentioned that tourism is classified into categories and various types specifically for marketing purposes, including coastal tourism, urban tourism, island tourism, rural tourism, and mountain tourism. Ref. [8] highlighted that one type of tourism product is insufficient to continuously attract tourists from within and outside the country. All tourism attractions are tourism resources but all tourism resources may not be tourism attractions [9]. Hence, existing tourism resources do not necessarily succeed in becoming tourist attractions. Ref. [10] recognised a tourism area life cycle in the market, where the principal aim of new tourism destinations and product supply continuously exists to offer excitement as a tourist attraction. In fact, there are many famous scholars who focussed on the development of tourism destinations. Christaller (1963), an influential scholar among tourism planning and management theorists stated that tourism areas develop over time [11]. Butler (1980) described six levels of tourism development. At first, a tourist product slowly grows and then experiences rapid growth before stabilizing and then declining [12,13,14,15]. According to [15], although the decline stage is a big challenge for the tourism industry, a tourism area can start a new life cycle. Thus, the creation of new product supply and upgrading of destinations increasingly develop for growth of the tourism industry.

New tourism products are ‘something that has not been experienced and known among tourists either in terms of the activities on offer or the experience of the destination’. New tourism products can attract many new tourists to a destination [16]. Various new approaches are being implemented to create competitiveness in the era of globalisation. Firms typically rely more on their capacities to produce new products and services under intense competitive pressure [17]. The factors that push firms to be creative and competitive include a competitive world and reliance on innovation, such as technology. Ref. [18] has produced a model on the study of the development of innovative tourism products in which firms need to identify the core resources, the transformative experiences and the process design. Ref. [19] mentioned that ‘tourist destination’ is a complex concept, but ‘tourist destination competitiveness’ is even more so.

Few comprehensive reviews have investigated the development of new tourism destinations and tourism supply. Although a vast body of literature examined product types, the studies are very niche to certain markets and based on specific fields, such as a systematic review on rural tourism [20], a food tourism review [21], a rural homestay review [22], a geotourism review [23], a railway and tourism review [24] and a trail-based recreational review [25]. Ref. [26] analysed the performance of tourism destination to ensure long-term sustainability, but failed to acknowledge the importance of new tourism destinations as tourist attractions with a competitive advantage.

The current study emphasised the need to conduct the Systematic Literature Review (SLR), focusing explicitly on the development of new tourism destinations and products for tourism supply. The two research objectives were: (1) to identify the elements involved in tourism’s new destinations and product trends in today’s competitive era and (2) to discuss the importance of new products to the tourism industry.

2. Research Methodology

2.1. Review Protocol

The SLR was performed based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology. The PRISMA was chosen over other existing protocols due to its broad acceptance, use in several disciplines worldwide, and potential to improve consistency across surveys [22]. The SLR procedure began with the formulation of research questions using the PICO method: ‘P’ for Problem or Population, ‘I’ for Interest, and ‘Co’ for Context. Subsequently, document searching was planned and conducted based on three systematic phases: identification, screening, and eligibility [27,28].

2.2. Formulation of the Research Question

Research questions are necessary to guide the entire SLR process. The PICO method can aid researchers in developing better research topics for SLRs [29]. The current study included three major aspects in the review: competitiveness (Problem/Population), new destination or new tourism product (Interest), and tourism supply (context). Hence, the following questions were raised in the study: (1) What are the elements involved in tourism’s new products in this competitive era? and (2) How deep are the impacts and the importance of new products in sustaining the tourism industry?

2.3. Systematic Searching Strategies

The paper selection procedure was divided into four stages: (i) database selection, (ii) paper extraction, (iii) abstract screening, and (iv) full-text screening, as shown in Figure 1. Phases (ii) to (iv) were completed by applying the eligibility criteria and quality appraisal [24]. Finally, the extracted data were analysed using qualitative data synthesis (thematic synthesis).

2.3.1. Identification

Identification is the process of locating relevant keywords based on research questions [27]. Several keywords used in the study were suggested by database keywords and the keywords utilised in past studies, as shown in

Table 1. The search strings.

Database	Search Strings
Web of Science	TOPIC: Tourism destination OR Tourism product OR Tourism attraction OR Tourism supply OR tourism development. Refined by TOPIC: new tourism, new destination, new product
Scopus	New tourism products OR new tourism development OR new tourism attraction OR new tourism destination

: (tourism new destination), (new attractions), (tourism new products), (new tourism development), and (tourism supply). The review practice was based on the three steps suggested by [23]: (1) literature search, (2) selection of relevant studies, and (3) categorisation and synthesis of the findings. The two databases selected for consultation were WoS by Thomson Reuters and SCOPUS by Elsevier. The current researchers chose WoS and Scopus over other search engines as all journals in the former underwent a rigorous editorial process, hence ensuring article quality before publication and maintaining the journal impact factor rankings [27,30]. The search technique using both databases yielded 23 publications that fulfilled the study objectives.

2.3.2. Screening

The second step was the screening process, which involved filtering four duplicate papers from the WoS and Scopus platforms. Subsequently, the remaining 1300 articles were filtered for articles published in English. The selection of English writing was due to the fact it is read in a global context. A total of 11851 papers were filtered out due to irrelevant resource title and 2138 were removed due to different research fields. Meanwhile, 429 articles were used in the third stage, which was the eligibility procedure, where the full-text screening phase was used to ensure the aforementioned eligibility conditions were met [24].

2.3.3. Eligibility

The third procedure was eligibility, in which the researchers manually examined the retrieved articles to confirm that all of the remaining articles met the requirements (second screening step) [27] and to reduce the database shortcomings [29]. The process did not require reading the entire article, instead, only the title and abstract were assessed to verify whether the paper was suitable for inclusion in the review [28]. The study identified 314 papers that were not directly relevant during abstract screening, and which were excluded from the review, while the remaining 115 complete paper texts were thoroughly examined.

2.4. Quality Appraisal

Quality appraisal procedures are usually performed to ensure article content quality. The remaining papers from the eligibility method had ti be examined to guarantee technique accuracy and that they were devoid of bias [29]. Ref. [31] stated that although determining quality assessment is a serious challenge, bias can be reduced through the evaluation of several quality criteria, including information discrepancies, content validity, reference validity, and researcher disagreement. The quality assessment technique was not conducted to ensure the most ideal publications, but rather to assist in selecting articles that met the review objectives [29].

Two reviewers were chosen for quality appraisal in the current study. One of the reviewers was experienced in teaching tourism studies for over 10 years, while the other reviewer was a university colleague pursuing doctorate studies. The technique used for the review was based on [27] and adapted from [32]. The remaining articles were divided into three quality categories: high, moderate, and low. Only the high and moderate articles were reviewed. Subsequently, 15 articles were rated high, 8 moderate, and 16 low, and, hence, only 23 articles were eligible for review.

2.5. Data Abstraction and Analysis

This step entailed data synthesis. Research synthesis refers to a group of techniques for summarising, integrating, and combining the findings of several studies on a specific topic or research question. The final step of the SLR was to report the review through an analysis of the results and a discussion [31]. A thematic analysis was performed to determine themes and sub-themes connected to research patterns and trends in the papers. The thematic analysis allowed for the identification of major themes and literature structuring. The method is adaptable and provides reviewers with freedom and enables the combining of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method evidence [33]. After reading the entire article, seven themes were developed in the study: responsibilities and involvement, geography and resources, innovation, diversification, trend and travel pattern, sustainability, and marketing.

3. Results

3.1. Background of the Selected Studies

The study identified 23 study articles in various locations across different continents (Figure 2). An article located in America was analysed [34], while nine articles were identified from Europe [35], for countries such as Hungary [36], Italy [37], Portugal [38], Spain [39], and [40] Poland [41], Serbia [42], and Romania [43].

Two articles were discovered from the African continent, namely Botswana [44] and Ghana [45]. Nine articles in Asia were identified, one in Indonesia [46], three in Japan [47,48,49], two in Iran [50,51], and one paper each for South Korea [52], Taiwan [53], India (Andaman and Nicobar Island) [54], and Bangladesh [55]. Lastly, a study conducted in Australia was identified [56]. The numbers 1–3 in Figure 2 indicate the numbers of selected articles in the study area (by country).

As illustrated in Figure 3, the temporal distribution of selected articles, published according to years, was as follows; in 2022, only one article was published [48], five studies were published in 2021 [42,45,46,47,56], and five articles were published in 2019 [40,50,51,52,54]. Meanwhile, one article was published in 2018 [55], two articles in 2017 [43,53], two articles in 2016 [38,49], and one article in 2015 [35]. Three articles were published in 2014 [36,41,44], while two articles were published in 2009 [37,39] and one was published in 2006 [34].

Almost half of the studies (11 articles) were qualitative analyses [37,39,40,41,42,43,47,49,50,55,56]. Meanwhile, eight studies emphasised quantitative analysis [36,45,46,48,51,52,53,54]. The other four studies examined and extracted secondary data from the article review to contribute to the development of a theoretical framework and a new paradigm [34,35,38,44]. The type of method used is depicted in Figure 4.

3.2. Thematic Analysis—Elements of New Tourism Destinations and Products

The analysis conducted for the 23 articles was divided into two parts: identifying the elements of developing new destinations and discussing the importance of new products for tourism supply. The elements of new tourism destinations formed eight crucial topics from the thematic analysis of selected articles. The main themes consisted of geography and resources, responsibility and involvement, trend and travel pattern, innovation, diversification, marketing and sustainability. Concurrently, the second part reviewed the impact and importance of new tourist destinations.

3.2.1. Geography and Resources

The topography, geography, and natural resources of a location play a major and critical role in the formation of tourism. The geography and resources generate multiple opportunities for tourism development and new potential. Therefore, the opportunities and challenges of producing new destinations and products usually vary based on the form of tourism supply. The forms of tourism in the article analysis were health tourism [36], rural tourism [35], wine tourism [39], contemporary tourism [43], geotourism [34], last chance tourism [50], fishery-based ecotourism [55], gastronomic tourism [54], island ecotourism [49], cultural tourism [44], and Islamic tourism [45]. Although destinations were addressed in various forms, the goal remained the same, which was the growth of the tourism industry. For example, ref. [34] examined geotourism as a new type of tourism that should be investigated, which offers travellers the chance to experience, learn about, and enjoy the Earth’s legacy. Geotourism can be efficiently explained in terms of ecological and cultural tourism, specifically. In the Canary Islands, wine production has been part of the cultural and agricultural heritage since the 15th century. Wine has been produced on a large scale and is currently a platform for leisure activities on the island by diversifying and developing alternative market opportunities [39]. Meanwhile, ref. [44] researched South Africa and Botswana and explored existing cultural resources, which benefit local communities. Ref. [42] investigated the Serbian geographical environment while examining forest therapy and forest-based wellbeing tourism.

Ref. [36] examined health tourism in Hungary and mentioned that the geographical allocation, potential attractions, and characteristics of the socio-economic environment created various spatial types of tourism. In Hungary, the specific rural locations that cater to health tourism play a crucial role in the regional concentrations of travel demand. Due to the significant number of investments required, development concentrates on specific settlements, thus emphasising them in their surrounding environment. Meanwhile, ref. [35] stated that rural tourism is formed mostly by repurposing and reverifying existing properties and heritage resources as lodging and attractions. Although certain infrastructural development, such as sign development, marketing, and heritage interpretation is usually handled by the public sector, the situation does not necessitate a significant capital expenditure. The development was created at a minimal cost and on a small scale, primarily by rural residents who were often inexperienced business owners in the tourism industry.

3.2.2. Responsibility and Involvement

Destination development and management are normally conducted by the government, private or NGO bodies, or investors. Nonetheless, destinations and products hold a lifecycle that begins with growth, enters stagnation, and subsequently declines. Therefore, restarting a new growth (during the stagnation or decline stage) is essential for the revitalisation of the destination lifecycle [37]. Thus, the question is who is ultimately in charge of new growth? The review of articles, such as [38,40,46,49], highlighted that the government is the driving force behind new destination development initiatives. Refs. [37,55] stated that a range of governmental and commercial sector players must collaborate on destination planning, decision-making, and management. Effective collaboration enables building safe networks between multiple stakeholders and provides the stakeholders with access to the resources necessary to realise their objectives. The three basic categories of tourism stakeholders are the public sector (governments and public authorities), private sector (tourism industries, private corporations, and businesses), and the third sector (NGOs and communities) [47]. Ref. [55] listed media and tourist involvement apart from the public and private sectors, local communities and citizens. Ref. [36] emphasised that the intended stakeholders involves major players of tourism, such as the tourism destination management organisation (TDMO) and tour operators [47,56]. Ref. [41] also stated that more involvement from “top shelf” tourism indicates a higher and more complex expected target. Meanwhile, ref. [35] mentioned that the leadership system and researchers are essential to establishing collaborative work groups to explore methodologies, approaches, priorities, and fund-raising.

Refs. [40,54] stressed that the government is essential to the development of sustainable tourism as the government must establish long-term tourism policies, and implement overall coordination and direction. The situation applies to travelling to islands, such as Lanzarote, where political parties, local governments, and communities frequently obstruct the development of sustainable tourism policies and their execution. Although politics is a major factor, the development of alternative products can only be successful within the framework of a comprehensive and collaborative process that includes all parties involved in a destination touristic system. Meanwhile, ref. [38] mentioned that Madeira Island contributed to the introduction of a new tourist paradigm through a number of government initiatives, such as the development and marketing of Madeira for tourism from 2016 to 2021 along with the start of a new political cycle. Ref. [46] highlighted that the Indonesian government emphasised the tourism sector as a top priority in its strategic plan for the future of the country. The factors of tourism development, such as infrastructure, transportation, and other related environmental construction are evident in urban and smaller areas.

According to [38], making improvements to current tourist plans is necessary to make adjustments in regional, national, and international contexts. The established plan reflected the emphasis placed on growing Madeira’s market share in the present priority areas and those with growth potential. Close cooperation was also practised with all Madeira stakeholders to maintain and improve service standards encompassing all sub-sectors of tourism, such as lodging, dining, activities, transportation, and various tourism services. The objective was to develop a service culture for the Madeira tourism sector and a framework for all industry participants. Ref. [46] reported the rise of the highly regarded tourism sector in Indonesia, such as in East Nusa Tenggara (Indonesian: Nusa Tenggara Timur—NTT). Although not considered a popular tourist destination, the island-based region in the south eastern Indonesian province houses the ancient Komodo dragon and has recently received growing attention. National and provincial government stakeholders have labelled NTT as a ‘new tourist region’ and ‘new Bali’, hence rationalising the potential of tourism. Data on the number of tourist visits to NTT indicated that visitors increased fourfold between 2014 to 2018. Meanwhile, governments that rely on the expansion of tourism actively assist entrepreneurs in the industry to develop innovations to remain competitive. The government subsequently liaises with other stakeholders, such as entrepreneurs, destination managers, or investors.

Entrepreneurs are considered an essential link in the chain of individuals who design and construct industrial innovations, specifically with the application of sustainability principles, which demand new approaches. Entrepreneurs and tourism investors are constantly searching for new markets to increase profits, which calls for innovation to develop new products and trends [49]. Refs. [45,56] noted that new and innovative approaches require initiative from business entrepreneurs. According to [56], tourism operators are urged to innovate and provide fresh offers and experiences that appeal to tourists through numerous tourism and economic development initiatives. The situation has inspired numerous tourism businesses to reconsider the design and focus of their experiences and encouraged creativity within currently existing ones. Furthermore, ref. [45] proposed that businesses and industry players should supply appealing tourism programmes to meet needs and enhance satisfaction levels.

3.2.3. Trend and Travel Pattern

Trends and travel patterns are generally regarded as being based on demand. According to [51], tourism demand needs to be examined based on the emergence of new products in the market due to the relationship between demand and supply. A study in Isfahan, Iran, highlighted that intangible cultural heritage is a brand-new tourism offering, thus emphasising the importance to assess tourist purchasing patterns. Various factors influence demand in the tourism business, including growing micro mobility, changing lifestyles, and new and trendy outdoor recreational activities, which are subject to fluctuations [35]. Numerous related businesses have profited inadvertently. For example, rural tourism started as sightseeing in the late nineteenth century but has developed into a larger industry with various adventure tourist activities and more diverse experiences.

On the supply side, development resulted from rural residents’ acceptance of tourism as a potential source of employment. The numerous protected places with landscape value are now supporting well-managed rural tourist programmes rather than opposing them out of concern for its potential detrimental effects. Similar to geotourism products, ref. [34] stated the current demand characteristics and patterns enable the disclosure of the future stakes of geotourist activities, specifically regarding on-site interpretation, geomarketing, and product development to design a product that is more suited to the current demand. Ref. [36] examined two groups, one includes places, such as Zalakaros, Harkány, and Hévz with a strong health tourism industry but no other product offerings. The locations are typically small towns, some have become cities in the 1990s primarily as a result of tourism-related activities. The medium-sized and larger cities with more intricate attractions serve as a representation of other groups. Similar to Debrecen, Miskolc, and Sopron, most attractions are cultural, while features related to settlement size serve as distinguishing characteristics of the final product. Ref. [36] reported that changes in the Hungarian population travel habits and demand trends at the location led to the development of health tourism (

Table 2. Elements of new tourism destinations and products. Extracted from 23 reviewed articles.

Elements	Discussion by Scholars	References
Geography and Resources	Topography, geography, and natural resources Cultural resources Attraction potential Socio-economic environment Destination location and accessibility Unique combination of resources	[34,35,36,37,39,42,44,54]
Responsibility and Involvement	Stakeholder cooperation Public Sector Tourism Entrepreneurship/tour operator/tourism small business Tourism Destination Management Organisation (TDMO) Cooperation of autonomous organisations Financial support from NGOs/Investor Academicians, residents, media	[35,36,37,38,40,41,43,44,46,47,49,54,55,56]
Trend and Travel Pattern	Trends Current demand The changing travel patterns	[34,35,36,51]
Innovation	New creation and upgrading of new product Searching new market Innovation capability Uniqueness Innovation of knowledge and partnership The acquisition of technologies Growth, survival, and profitability Differentiation strategy	[35,36,37,41,42,45,49,50,53,55,56]
Diversification	Variety of attractions Supplement to existing product Various types of activities	[36,39,40,44,48]
Marketing and Target Market	Marketing the image Invest in promotion Brand extension Digital and content marketing Broadening the target market Expand market segment	[38,39,44,45,52,53,54]
Sustainability	Development of sustainable tourism Reduce negative impacts resulting from tourism Identity for local community Environment, culture, economy, and social	[34,38,40,42,43,48,51,54,55]

).

3.2.4. Innovation

A literature review on new destinations and tourism products outlines innovation as the most powerful and key element in the new tourism sector. According to [49], innovation is defined as the initial launch of a new product, a new variation on an existing product, or new organisational structures and procedures as a component or outcome of the discovery, development, and commercialisation processes. Given that innovation for the sake of innovation rarely occurs, the aspect must fulfil several requirements, such as competitiveness, market expansion, or customer satisfaction. Ref. [53] added that innovation involves novelty seeking, a desire for stimulation, independence from others’ communicated experience, and a desire for uniqueness. Five types of innovation were adapted in [41] as follows:

• Introduction of new goods;
• Introduction of a new method of production;
• Opening of a new market;
• Conquest of a new source of supply of raw materials of half-manufactured goods;
• Creation of a new type of industrial organisation.

Three categories of criteria are used to explain innovation in the tourism industry:

• Supply or supply-driven determinants (new skills, materials, services, and form of organisation);
• Demand drivers (leisure time, population pyramid, and individualisation);
• Level and pace of competition (influenced by globalisation).

The current findings highlight that innovation strategies are multifaceted and have been implemented in many tourism destinations, such as the creation of new and upgraded products, knowledge and partnership, and searching for new markets, uniqueness, growth, survival and differentiation [35,36,37,41,45,49,50,53,55,56].

Regarding new product creation, ref. [53] investigated space tourism technology innovations to attract travellers seeking new vacation experiences in Taiwan, while [55] examined fisheries-based ecotourism (FbE). The FbE is a novel idea for the tourism sector in Bangladesh. A growing trend has emerged among travellers to seek out more actively-involved experiences rather than the standard sun, sand, and sea vacations. Aligned with the new proposal, local fishermen can serve as knowledgeable tour guides and educators in traditional fishing techniques and equipment, the marine environment, and the community fishing legacy. The trip packages can be expanded to include opportunities to seek and catch bigger game fish and the cooking of traditional local cuisine on the boat, which enable cross-cultural interactions that are educational for both parties on many levels.

Ref. [41] elaborated on new development factors and stated that the old and new tourism development paradigm is profitable. In Hungary, classic medical tourism centres are becoming more open to new medical techniques and wellness philosophies with facilities focusing on wellness expanding their supply to include other tourism-related services. Numerous instances of innovations were displayed, including the blending of health tourism with incentive, business, and golf travel. In addition to the health tourism supply, Bükfürd exhibited a well-developed capability for business tourism and its golf course serves as the foundation for drawing in a different market [36]. In Siberia, forest-based tourism introduced innovative therapeutical programmes established on complementary and alternative medicine, ecotherapy, forest wellness, and forest therapy as a novel service in the wellness tourism [42]. In Isfahan, Iran, the innovative idea of introducing the Traditional Weaving House of Isfahan (Textile Museum) as a last-chance tourism destination is part of the museum’s strategy for improving its functions [50] while in Ghana, Islamic tourism has been discussed in research as a relatively new form of tourism in the country [45].

Ref. [49] stated that innovation cannot explain competitive advantage and economic success. The success of tourist growth is attributed to several elements, including a more open industry, cooperation among all operators with a similar vision, a strong brand, first-rate infrastructure, and connections to ancillary industries. Ref. [35] added that the concept of a new generation of rural tourism provides ‘new breath’ by building partnerships for the development and marketing of rural tourism. New generation rural tourism aims to create a culture of destination management that can manage the decentralised, multi-stakeholder, and multi-player nature of the industry and its critical ties to the preservation and economic management of rural areas. In China, ref. [56] describes the process as encouraging tour operators to adopt an innovative mind-set. Tourism operators have experienced innovative challenge as a result of the past ten years of global increase in China’s tourism. Therefore, a deeper understanding of exploitative and exploratory learning could aid industry players in starting the innovation process to attract and serve visitors without losing their current markets.

3.2.5. Diversification

Diversification is one of the new destination development strategies and new products that can be implemented. According to [40], strategic product development, or alternative product development, is an additional diversification strategy. Regarding the lifecycle model of tourism areas, the strategy can facilitate handling an uncertain future and address the need for action. Ref. [39] emphasised that the Canary Islands tourism industry highlighted the value of diversification, which could be attained by creating various attractions and expanding the target market to boost destination competitiveness and maintain high levels of repeat travel. Past expansion of the tourism sector in Botswana has prioritised wildlife tourism over other types of travel. The new tourism policy recognises the necessity for product diversification to uncover extra growth and associated socioeconomic benefits for the country. First, a “spatial” need is required to disperse tourist flows and associated consumption outside of the current top national destinations, which include the heavily visited and periodically congested Okavango Delta, Moremi Game Reserve, and Chobe National Park in the north. Second, communities, alternative means of generating income, and specifically local culture must be “thematically” integrated into national and local tourism offerings. All parts of diversification should work towards the policy objective and vision, which entails more of Botswana’s citizens engaging in, and profiting from, the tourism sector in the future. Therefore, the updated strategy seeks to establish Botswana’s cultural and historical sites as one of the industry pillars of the future [44]. Moreover, ref. [48] investigated employment identity through farm diversification where farm-related tourism focuses on educational dairy farms (EDFs) that form employment identities and generate differences in the efficiency of farm activities. Hence, an excellent strategy for rural development is the diversification of farms through tourism-related businesses.

3.2.6. Marketing and Target Market

Marketing a new product as an expansion of an existing one is a proven tactic to effectively boost brand value. Ref. [43] suggested that countries and destinations can emphasise their uniqueness and strengthen their identities through developing tourism brands. Ref. [52] introduced the concept of destination-to-destination brand extension (also known as “destination extension”) and empirically evaluated its usefulness using an experimental design. Jeju is a recently developing destination and the only island in the world with three UNESCO designations of outstanding value positioned as the extended brand in this design. Two established tourism brands, South Korea and UNESCO World Heritage Site, were placed as possible parent brands. Instead of creating a completely new brand name, which is typically linked with higher marketing risks and expenses, the brand extension used an existing brand name (generally referred to as the “parent brand”). “Destination extension” is an alternate tourism destination marketing tactic.

The potential of the Andaman and Nicobar island native cuisine has not been effectively promoted, which is the biggest obstacle to its ability to thrive as a tourist destination [54]. Ref. [39] proposed expanding the current destination image to market the tourism product via a mass tourism package. Hence, local communities could promote their tourism resources to the outside world and establish a destination identity. In Madeira, an approach to promotion and sales was developed by ensuring new communication strategies at destinations and strong investments in digital and content marketing [38]. Meanwhile, refs. [39,44,45] emphasised the target market.

The target market is important in the process of marketing tourism products. A wider targeted market increases the chance of attracting visitors. Ref. [44] outlined that the initial goal of the Botswana tourism policy was based on the “High Value–Low Volume” (HVLV) approach, which refers to the aim of attracting a small number of tourists with a high expenditure pattern. Significantly, HVLV destinations provide the sector with very narrow future development options, and, thus, the goal has been broadened to include various categories and products of the middle to high tourism market.

The target market enables stakeholders to provide facilities and needs that are appropriate to the targeted form of tourism. In Ghana, Muslim tourist demands are promptly identified and met with the essential and necessary facilities at tourist spots so that Islamic tourism can be promoted and integrated into a non-Muslim country. Additionally, it is more profitable for marketers, professionals, and enterprises to comprehend Muslim travel requirements so as to offer Muslim-friendly tourism items and services that would enhance their spiritual well-being in the given situation [45]. Ref. [39] highlighted that the target market for Canary Islands tourism is structured in a way that supplies limited options for independent travel. Adding rural and traditional components would enable expanding the perception of popular tourist locations and packaged mass tourism items, while revitalising the surrounding rural economy and preserving some traditional textiles.

3.2.7. Sustainability

Tourism is usually associated with development where tourism development usually produces a multiplier effect on the environment, culture, economy, and society [40]. Nevertheless, due to the awareness of the future sustainability of a place, most new tourism developments adopt sustainable tourism development. According to [43], sustainable tourism development favours the preservation of a tourist destination’s ecological balance, therefore increasing its competitiveness, and is unachievable without proper management of tourist demand. A competitive destination protects its natural and cultural resources while improving the residents’ long-term well-being by providing a more satisfying experience than similar destinations. Ref. [34] studied geotourism as a new form of tourism from a realistic perspective and different advantages offering the potential for sustainable growth. According to [42], green spaces and environmental interaction encourage human well-being, personal development, and spiritual development. Remedies for quick and rejuvenating visits to natural places also emerged as a major wellness trend in response to the harmful impacts of digitalised life and epidemics. The idea and practice of “forest bathing” were popularised by Japanese researchers, such as forest bathing “shinrin-yoku”, as a potent tool for promoting healthy local communities by fostering intuitive stewardship of the forests and increasing ecological literacy by advancing global health and wellness trends through the mentioned fundamental activity.

Gastronomic tourism is a new product in Andaman and Nicobar Island, India. The typical regional food accurately portrays the cultural and historical background of a destination. Gastronomic tourism can be used as an alternative to implementing methods for the local residents’ socioeconomic development and as a marketing tool for the destination. Gastronomic tourism may contribute to the sustainable development of a place by fostering local competition, respect for Mother Nature, and improving local residents’ living circumstances [54].

The study reviewed the creation of new FbE in the fishing sector, which provides renewed hope for the survival of this way of life by encouraging more sustainable growth patterns, specifically in the artisanal fishing industry. Fishing tourists can join local fishing boats as paid guests, thus enabling them to enjoy the discreet beauty of the aquatic landscapes directly on top of the water. In Bangladesh, numerous options are available for recreational fishing, which can be highly beneficial to the nation and serve as a crucial tool for sustainable human development, including the eradication of poverty, the creation of jobs, and the improvement of rural areas. The regional culture that draws visitors can aid in the preservation of regional customs and handicrafts that might otherwise be lost to time [55]. Similarly, ref. [51] stated that introducing new intangible heritage tourism products in Isfahan is important to foster intercultural understanding, respect for one another’s culture, and creative travel in the region. The situation is similar to product development for sustaining tourism destinations with options, including enhancing farmers’ jobs with new product development, such as EDF [48], rural tourism evolution [35], and upgrading classical medical to health tourism [36].

3.3. Importance of Tourism New Destinations and Products

The development of new destinations and products displays positive signs for the tourism sector where the parties involved are actively participating in developing the tourism sector. The most significant impact and importance are increasing competitiveness, which results in creativity, tourist choice, and quality of supply to tourists and consumers. Most researchers associated new destinations and products with competitive advantages, namely [36,37,43,44,46,53,54,56]. According to [37], the main source of competitiveness is the development of goods and services for specific target markets. Nonetheless, several scholars considered innovation an essential element of competitive advantage. Innovation is a crucial component of product development for survival and to sustain markets in cases of severe international competition in the industry [46,53,55]. Innovative and integrated strategies can assist in coping with the major current challenges confronting the tourism industry, such as rapid growth in international tourism flows, new consumer trends, digitalisation, security issues, and adaptation to climate changes [43]. Additionally, businesses must participate in a “continuous process of adaptation and evolution” to translate the concept into revolutionary improvements in corporate processes, products, and services [56].

New product development benefits the tourism sector in terms of product diversification [36,44], improving and upgrading the product [38], and supplementing existing products [40]. Product diversification includes the formation of other types of tourism from the same spatial, such as classical medical tourism developing into health and wellness tourism [36] and wildlife tourism developing by focusing on communities, such as cultural tourism. Improving and upgrading the product occurs when the supply involves environmental, energy, and sustainable development concerns for the destination [38]. Ref. [40] mentioned that instead of creating entirely new strategies that replace the existing ones, complementary or supplementary strategies towards more sustainable tourism growth could be developed, based on local values and structures within a destination. Thus, gastronomic tourism can be considered a new form of supplementary tourism in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Ref. [54] stressed that food tourism can be developed as a supplementary or complementary type of tourism on the islands. Along with the attractions of sun, sea, and sand. Moreover, consumer behaviour and habits should be considered when developing new products, which contribute to the variations of the new supply sides [36]. For instance, forest ecosystems were proposed as a non-pharmacological therapeutic medium with forest treatment emerging as a major trend in preventive and complementary medicine [42].

The other impacts and importance of new tourism discussed by scholars in the article reviews are the economic growth of the community, which is a crucial weapon for the sustainability of the tourism sector. New tourist destinations create many opportunities for the local community [55], including employment creation, income generation, and poverty eradication. Therefore, new tourist destinations are a major socio-economic development tool among disadvantaged communities [39,44,54] regional economic development, and the generation of profitable tourism [34,47].

The strategy to turn weaknesses into opportunities create recovery opportunities, such as Japan building resilience of destinations in the face of tourism disaster [47,50] by emphasising that museums introduce last chance tourism activities. For example, tourists can be drawn to museums through exhibitions of ancient artisans with experience in vanishing crafts or forgotten indigenous items and through exhibitions of pictures of vanishing or endangered sites, ecosystems, or heritage museums. New destinations and product strategies in tourism create long-term business growth and secure the future for hotels, tour operators, travel agencies, and marketing consortiums [55,56], improving the living standards of local people [36,43], attracting new market segments and creating demand [36,48,50]. Furthermore, other strategies to be considered include the following: promoting differentiation by supplying different attributes to those of the competitors [38,52,53], improving tourist arrival, length of stay and repeat visitation [39,44], creating niche markets, such as Islamic tourism, considered to be a new need globally [45], transformation [42], building networking and leadership [41].

4. Discussion

Studies on new tourism destinations and products have been widely available recently (2015 until now) compared to the previous 10 years (Figure 3), based on the temporal distribution of the selected articles reviewed. According to [57], changes in people’s lifestyles have changed the world significantly in terms of people’s movement from one country to another from the 18th century to the 20th century. The cross-border integration of countries evoked by globalisation brought nations closer together in all facets of human life and gave rise to a new travel trend. Furthermore, the situation continues to trigger the development of new tourism destinations. Studies on the development of new tourism destinations and products are increasing, based on the 17 review articles out of 23 that were published between 2015 and 2022, indicating the need for scientific research in line with the increase in new developments in the tourism sector. Most articles used qualitative methods, such as case studies and interviews. For studies involving destinations, the case study approach is effective by focusing on cases, such as units of geography. Case studies can disclose details of social processes and mechanisms that influence other factors. Moreover, case studies are effective for tracking processes based on time and space factors of a reliable life experience and can describe the entire situation or process holistically by allowing the merging of various perspectives or emergence of new perspectives [58].

The majority of scholars agree that three main categories of stakeholders share responsibility in tourism development: public stakeholders, private stakeholders, and local communities [19,59,60]. Research results from the systematic literature review indicate that government policy is important as a guide to implement and mobilize entrepreneurs’ actions because new developments involve great risks and challenges. Nonetheless, ref. [35] noted that rural tourism development is struggling with competition and change due to fragmented structures, uncooperative short-term businesses, numerous small enterprises with lagging infrastructure, a lack of governance system, and a lack of control between man-made development and management of nature. Ref. [55] added that there are several complexities, such as the need to implement fisheries-based tourism as a means of subsistence, the need for infrastructural development, the lack of investment support, the risk of environmental damage, the utter lack of policies to regulate and promote the industry, and the requirement to consider the concerns of various stakeholders. No compelling national tourism strategy is available to assist entrepreneurs and investors. Owning a business in this industry is generally challenging. No financial area or space exists for the “cold standby,” which provides no immediate cash gain when an action is completed. People are able to understand more complex market research interventions but they require relevant strong institutional support to resuscitate the destinations through new, autochthonous goods and services [61]. Therefore, new approaches, assistance and expertise, such as consultants and government support are vital to ensure that entrepreneurs and small enterprises survive for the sustainable development of regions. Policymakers must evaluate limits and address them appropriately to establish a more inclusive framework [54]. The new strategy must involve a full revamp of all institutional mechanisms that support the current economic system. For example, a new geoproduct in Langkawi Malaysia, Kubang Badak Biogeotrail, is a successful trail development due to stakeholders’ coalition and strong partnership with government agencies [62]. Individual and piecemeal solutions serve solely the purpose of “firefighting”, but do not offer a long-term plan for economic and social development [63].

Apart from the responsible parties, innovation is an essential element of the successful development of new destinations and products for tourism supply. According to [64], innovations in the tourist industry are driven by the continuous lookout for new products, techniques for modifying, renewing or reusing current items, addressing new needs, and utilising products for creative uses or in new contexts [65]. The element of innovation has become a powerful tool for destination operators to attract tourists and survive in an increasingly competitive market. Half of the articles that were reviewed and reported on applied the concept of innovation in destination development to remain competitive.

Innovation occurs when firms successfully implement new ideas and is recognised as a strategy used by firms to achieve a competitive edge. Innovation used to outperform competition results in growth, survival, or increased profitability [41,66]. Ref. [53] highlighted that innovative products are mandatory for a firm in rising globalisation. Innovation is increasingly considered a critical component of destination management and tourist development success. Tourism initiatives that wish to continue to attract visitors or relocate tourists to locations seen as remote (such as islands) must creatively design their enterprises as actual magnets [49]. Ref. [67] stated that small medium enterprises (SMEs) encounter challenges to innovate, such as the following: (i) difficulty to recover considerable sunken costs associated with innovation due to economies of scale; (ii) restricted access to finance markets; and (iii) insufficient management experience and organisational capabilities.

Geography and resources (natural or man-made resources) determine assets, potential, and development of products, target markets, competitive advantages and challenges in the tourism industry, hence forming various types of tourism, such as ecotourism, cultural tourism, heritage tourism, dark tourism, marine tourism, health tourism, green tourism, food tourism, and gastronomic tourism is advisable. This form of tourism displays different characteristics, changes over time and is highly diverse [68]. Each destination encounters challenges as any destination possesses its natural, socio-cultural, and economic characteristics [61]. The combination of resources and geographic factors, including destination location, accessibility, and attractions affect how competitively attractive a place is to tourists.

Several studies emphasised that elements of sustainability are applied in the development of new destinations, although the discussion of sustainability goals was not discussed in depth. In 2015, the United Nations proposed 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with the aim of alleviating poverty, protecting the environment, and achieving prosperity for all by bringing together policymakers, academia, practitioners, and all other relevant tourism stakeholders, and establishing policy and strategic engagement guidelines [69,70]. Tourism is one of the main industries for global development to address global concerns based on the Agenda 2030 SDGs 9 and 11 [71]. The new approaches and diversity of strategies prove that the development of new destinations and tourism products is entirely directed towards achieving sustainability through economic and social forces by emphasising environmental sustainability [34], fostering industry [48], community well-being [72], encouraging innovation, strategic productivity, and ecological integrity of a destination [40,43,73].

Based on the review conducted, the concept of diversification is an element with the power to attract tourists to a destination. Diversification occurs by providing alternatives in activities and expanding business functions. For instance, ref. [48] studied farmers who engage in tourism activities with diverse job functions and tasks. Challenges occur as farmers have experienced occupational identity conflicts since the start of new tourism in the developed sector [48]. Occupational identity forms between the scope of work as a farmer and the scope of work in serving tourists to boost the tourism sector. Therefore, multi-tasking is required to develop the destination. Product diversification can provide destinations with broader economic benefits. One approach to product diversification in destinations involves packaging and promoting existing products to build new packages or combinations of products in destinations, which become additional new products. Destinations continue to add new tourism products to their investment portfolio of existing destinations or new and different products through product diversification. The latter approach outlines that mass tourism can meet tourist demands for niche tourism products. A new combination of existing and new tourism products diversifies the tourism product experience, which brings in new markets and retains existing markets [16].

Due to product high replaceability, competition has become more challenging and it is increasingly difficult for service providers to stand out from the crowd [36]. The marketing element plays a crucial role in ensuring that new destinations and products are known and that information reaches the target. Meanwhile, new products in tourism are also a tool to facilitate marketing to a specific destination, such as gastronomic tourism as an alternative for promoting the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Lastly, elements of trends and travel patterns are often regarded in terms of demand involving the interest, decision-making, motivation, and psychology of tourists. Nevertheless, few studies have highlighted new destinations and new products. Ref. [51] investigated the tendency and awareness of audiences. Most articles examined the perspective of supply and stakeholder engagement for tourism development. Nonetheless, stakeholders must understand the trends and travel patterns of tourists and hence ensure that what is supplied aligns with demand. Current travel and lifestyle trends are changing rapidly due to technological innovation in numerous areas of life, such as work, entertainment, health, transportation, information and communication, rejuvenation, and in pleasure activities [57].

5. Conclusions

The study reviewed 23 indexed articles concerning various approaches to new destinations and products of the tourism industry to be supplied to tourists. The study highlighted the key elements (as shown in Table 2) and their importance holistically. The current scenarios and trends in the study of new tourism destinations and products have increased, particularly over the past five years. Tourism is a critical industry for the economies of almost every country. The study on destination development is emphasised in each country and the study review demonstrated the distribution from various countries, including Japan, Taiwan, Spain, Italy, Indonesia, Ghana, Botswana, South Korea, Hungary, Poland, Iran, Australia, and Bangladesh.

Considering that the study focused on tourist destinations, the research methods conducted mostly used qualitative approaches, such as case studies in tourist places and interviews. The remaining methods commonly applied by researchers are surveys, statistics, and analytical documents. Through thematic analysis, the review was divided into seven main elements of pattern in regard to new destinations and products for tourism supply: (a) Responsibilities and involvement, (b) Geography and resources, (c) Innovation, (d) Diversification, (e) Trend and travel pattern (f) Sustainability and (g) Marketing. The findings demonstrated that new destinations exhibited certain factors that need to be emphasised for more effective and efficient development and management. Simultaneously, applying sustainable development has definitely brought economic advantages, creating social benefits for the local community and protecting the environment for the benefit of the present and the future. The limitations and research gaps in the systematic review paper regarding new destinations for tourism supply were first, studies on new destinations with a general focus were still poorly discussed. Most new destination tourism studies are specifically parsed, based on the form of tourism (type of tourism). Second, a lack of research examined the effectiveness of policies on tourism to new destinations or products.

The study provides suggestions that can be implemented by academic studies or policies to assist entrepreneurs to survive in supplying new destinations. Entrepreneurs are the drivers of competitive industries and encounter the risks of ever-changing trends. Furthermore, studies on new destinations are still in a new stage of development. Therefore, research can be conducted from various perspectives, such as demand, government involvement, other industries that can be merged for the development of tourist destinations, and the extent to which new destinations can significantly impact a country.