Abstract
This chapter provides an overview of the key concepts and theoretical approaches to the study of special interest tourism (SIT). The first part of the chapter details the origins and evolution of SIT, after which its meaning and nature are considered. Then several approaches to conceptualising SIT are detailed including those that incorporate product-, interactive- and service-led dimensions. Recognising that special interest tourists seek real, authentic experiences, this chapter then discusses the nature of the SIT experience before moving on to demonstrate how an understanding of consumer behaviour, motivations, typologies and the adoption of a segmentation-based approach is useful in designing, engineering and delivering the SIT experience. Following this, a brief summary of the book's structure is provided.