Spatial, temporal and social dimensions of a ‘destination-in-motion’

• Purpose

The purpose of our paper is to raise awareness of the mobilities paradigm by exploring the role of tourist mobilities in destination marketing.

• Design/methodology/approach

We use the context of the Jacobite steam train which runs in the Scottish Highlands. We draw on multiple qualitative methods including participant observation, interviews and netnography.

• Findings

We explore the spatial, temporal and social mobilities associated with the journey and the destination and reveal how a rail journey becomes a ‘destination-in-motion’ and, in turn, transforms what might otherwise be a neglected destination.

• Practical implications

We demonstrate how modes of transport which offer rich embodied experiences to visitors can present an important differentiation strategy and become core to a destination’s product and service portfolio.

• Originality/value
By approaching destination marketing from a mobilities perspective, our paper recognises the significance of human and object mobility to tourist experiences and offers a new perspective to existing research which biases a geographically-bounded understanding of destinations.