Following the loss of heavy, manufacturing industry in many industrial areas in the 1970s and 1980s, tourism has featured extensively in urban and wateriront regeneration policy because of its ability to generate substantial economic benefits to destination communities. There is now an extensive literature covering urban tourism and dockland regeneration, but visitors' perceptions of urban waterfront destinations and their on-site behaviour and d experience remain largely unexplored. Additionally, whilst there is now a substantial body of literature relating to tourism's economic impact at the macro level, less is known about tourism expenditure at destination and sub-destination levels