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1 – 10 of over 6000Jorge Costa, Melchior Moreira and Fernando Vieira
This article aims to characterize the profile of non-resident tourists visiting Porto and the North of Portugal and highlights the importance and evolution of tourist flows to the…
Abstract
Purpose
This article aims to characterize the profile of non-resident tourists visiting Porto and the North of Portugal and highlights the importance and evolution of tourist flows to the region, taking into account the airport development and the impact of low-cost airlines.
Design/methodology/approach
The article presents and discusses official tourism statistics and the results of on an ongoing survey by Institute for Tourism Planning and Development (IPDT) – Institute of Tourism, conducted at Porto airport on the tourist profile of non-resident tourists to the region.
Findings
The research findings reveal a remarkable growth in Porto and North of Portugal tourism – reflecting notable work over the past few years by tourism industry organizations. The Porto airport upgrade allowed for a new dynamic in the region, opening the door to European tourists via low-cost routes. The tourist’s profile depicts a young, active, upper class tourist, with an above average income, who truly appreciates Porto and the North of Portugal region and is willing to recommend it to friends and family.
Practical implications
Results provide rich insights on non-resident tourism in the region – where tourists come from, why they selected this destination for their trip and what they enjoy doing, among other information and is highly relevant for strategic and marketing activities related to tourism promotion and the service quality offer.
Originality/value
This article seeks to illustrate the non-resident tourist profiles of those visiting Porto and the North of Portugal, based on a unique study conducted over the past three years.
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Margarida Custódio Santos, Célia Veiga and Paulo Águas
This paper sought to examine the pertinent literature to identify trends that lead to the emergence of new tourist profiles. The study simultaneously focused on analysing the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper sought to examine the pertinent literature to identify trends that lead to the emergence of new tourist profiles. The study simultaneously focused on analysing the implications of these new tourist segments for service providers. In a time characterised by constant and accelerated change, the tourism market environment must be systematically and proactively monitored to define more carefully adjusted marketing strategies.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper examined the academic, institutional and trade literature to provide an overview of the main trends and profiles of the main market segments.
Findings
The most relevant segments identified and profiled are the seniors and millennials. The importance of this two generational segments for tourism derives from their large dimensions and strong interest in travelling. Empirical evidence has been found that the senior segment comprises two distinct sub-segments: “younger at heart” and “older at heart”. Therefore, seniors cannot be targeted as a homogeneous segment. Regarding the millennials, they are considered digital natives, who look for authentic experiences and see themselves as travellers rather than tourists. They are expected to be the largest market segment by 2020. The implications of each segment profile for service providers are discussed.
Originality/value
The profiling of the two most important tourist segments allows managers to design more effective marketing-mix strategies to implement along the different stages of the tourism consumption process, which include the pre-travel, during-travel and post-travel phases.
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Diana Cunha, Elisabeth Kastenholz and Carla Silva
This paper focuses on the wine tourist market in the central region of Portugal, and it aims to analyze the wine tourist’s demographic and travel behavior and preferences profile…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper focuses on the wine tourist market in the central region of Portugal, and it aims to analyze the wine tourist’s demographic and travel behavior and preferences profile, based on their level of wine involvement.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper presents results from an exploratory study with a quantitative design, including a total of 1,029 survey responses from visitors of three wine routes. A K-mean cluster analysis was carried out, and the emerging groups of wine tourists were statistically compared (ANOVA or Chi-squared test).
Findings
Participants present a demographic profile of the wine route visitor similar to that found in other studies, with an average involvement with wine. There were three clusters of wine tourists, with different levels of involvement with wine: less wine-involved; medium wine-involved; and highly wine-involved. Significant differences between the three mentioned categories are visible for gender, age and attractions visited and expenses, suggesting the possibility of a differentiated market approach. Additionally, most respondents report high interest in a variety of attractions that are not exclusively wine-related. This finding supports the conceptualization of (particularly rural) wine tourism as “terroir tourism.”
Research limitations/implications
The pandemic context in which data collection was undertaken led to a smaller sample than expected, which was also more domestic than would have been in “non-COVID” times.
Practical implications
This study provides relevant insights about visitors of wine routes in Central Portugal, which may resonate in other wine tourism destinations. Implications for both theory and practice are also discussed.
Originality/value
This paper fulfills an identified need to study the wine tourism market in the Central Region of Portugal and expands our understanding about wine tourists’ profiles, behavior and interests, adding with empirical findings to the debate on heterogeneity in the wine tourist market, the role of wine involvement and of terroir.
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Mariangela Franch, Umberto Martini, Pier Luigi Novi Inverardi and Federica Buffa
Upon the changes that have taken place in the tourist sector since the 7 990s, the SMTEs and the destinations where they operate are called to reflect on the opportunity to…
Abstract
Upon the changes that have taken place in the tourist sector since the 7 990s, the SMTEs and the destinations where they operate are called to reflect on the opportunity to redefine the strategic and organizational assets that have distinguished them until now in order to respond to new needs and desires coming from a more segmented demand side. This paper presents the results of a research project conducted in the Dolomites, the most important alpine area in terms of numbers of tourists, representative of a community tourist destination and where the tourists do not defer to intermediaries to organize the vacation (do‐it‐yourself tourists). The Dolomites are now in the “mature” phase of the development life cycle and as such need a new approach to the market in order to maintain loyalty among current visitors and to gain loyalty in new tourist segments. The research was done in the summer 2001 and winter 2001–2002 by administering 5,000 online questionnaires to a representative sampling of “do‐it‐yourself” tourists. The objective was to study the decision‐making and behavioural models of do‐it‐yourself tourists and to build profiles of tourists who choose this destination. From these profiles it is possible to identify strategies that the SMTEs and the alpine destination as a whole could undertake to achieve the goals described above. The research highlights the importance for SMTEs to overcome the entrepreneurial spontaneity and to adopt an informed and planned business strategy. In this scenario the Regional Tourist Boards emerge as important actors that can play a key role in meta‐management.
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Lucía García-García, Miguel Ángel Solano-Sanchez, Guzmán A. Muñoz-Fernández and Salvador Moral-Cuadra
This research aims to demonstrate the possible link between the sociodemographic profile of visitors motivated by the visit to flamenco shows and the city of Córdoba (Spain), and…
Abstract
Purpose
This research aims to demonstrate the possible link between the sociodemographic profile of visitors motivated by the visit to flamenco shows and the city of Córdoba (Spain), and the preferences and sensations regarding these experiences.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology used (multilayer perceptron) is based on the development of an artificial neural network.
Findings
The results show that the variables age and educational level are determining factors in the profile of the visitor. Also, as the level of income increases, so does the interest in flamenco, a fact that can be useful to determine the target audience for this type of shows.
Originality/value
Flamenco is an art that originated in the Andalusian region that arouses the interest of the visitor due to its music, way of singing and dance. Flamenco is a popular art that excites and awakens the senses of those who attend this dance, song and guitar show. Its recognition as Intangible Heritage of Humanity by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) since 2010, makes it a tourist product that motivates visitors to travel to the city of Córdoba (Spain), being also one of flamenco's places of origin. Córdoba has this art in its tourist offer so that the identity of the city has two aspects: patrimonial and immaterial, among the flamenco highlighted.
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Vanessa Quintal, Ben Thomas, Ian Phau and Zorana Soldat
The study aims to introduce a comprehensive segmentation instrument that incorporates the push–pull winescape attributes, providing a new perspective of the wine tourist profile…
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to introduce a comprehensive segmentation instrument that incorporates the push–pull winescape attributes, providing a new perspective of the wine tourist profile and explaining their behavioural intentions in the Australian winescape.
Design/methodology/approach
A literature review, focus groups and expert panels generated an extensive list of push–pull winescape attributes. Pen-and-paper surveys conveniently sampled 739 wine tourists at three wineries across three wine regions in Australia. Adopting push–pull winescape attributes as the segmentation base, cluster analysis identified four segments, namely, inspireds, self-drivens, market-drivens and inerts, and their behavioural intentions were examined.
Findings
Inspireds demonstrate both self- and market-motivation. Self-drivens exhibit self-motivation but limited market-motivation, whereas Market-drivens characterise market-motivation but limited self-motivation. Inerts are limited in both market- and self-motivations. At the Swan Valley, all four segments were identified, with Inspireds being the most willing to revisit and recommend to others and Inerts, the least willing. At the Barossa Valley, only two segments emerged. Again, Inspireds and Inerts were the most and least willing to revisit and recommend to others respectively. Finally, at the Yarra Valley, three segments were identified. Market-drivens were most willing to revisit and recommend to others, followed by self-drivens and lastly, by inerts.
Research limitations/implications
A comprehensive push–pull winescape segmentation base of wine tourists is introduced, which provides a more sophisticated profile of wine tourist segments than otherwise would be attained with conventional measures.
Practical implications
New insights into who the wine tourist is and what it is they seek from the winescape are vital to smaller wine producers whose best access to the domestic retail and export markets is through direct selling at the cellar door.
Originality/value
The empirically tested 18-item push–pull winescape instrument presents a comprehensive segmentation approach, which profiles wine tourists and predicts their behavioural intentions based on an extensive investigation of push–pull winescape attributes.
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Mercedes Marzo‐Navarro and Marta Pedraja‐Iglesias
Wine tourism is emerging as a lucrative sector, with the capacity to generate growing and long‐lasting tourism. Despite Spain's tourism and wine potential, wine tourism is…
Abstract
Purpose
Wine tourism is emerging as a lucrative sector, with the capacity to generate growing and long‐lasting tourism. Despite Spain's tourism and wine potential, wine tourism is scarcely developed. In order to develop it strategically, it is necessary to know both the real and potential customers of this tourism. The purpose of this paper is to ask, who is the wine tourist and how is he or she different from other visitors to a destination?
Design/methodology/approach
The objective of this study is to determine the existence of a group of wine tourists who are clearly differentiated from those tourists who have never participated in wine tourism. If such a group exists, the study attempts to determine the type of wine tourists existing in our country.
Findings
This study endeavours to provide knowledge about the differences between those individuals who have never participated in wine tourism and those who have. Moreover, the profile of a wine tourist can be divided into two groups, thereby considering the variables of gender, age, wine consumption habits and involvement in activities related to wine.
Practical implications
The effect that wine tourism can have in the area where it is developed means that we must increase our knowledge of wine tourists. The determination of the types of wine tourists and their tastes, desires, preferences, etc. will help to develop suitable marketing strategies.
Originality/value
This paper constitutes one of the first approaches at segmenting wine tourists in Spain.
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Viviane Silva Souza and Susana Regina Bacelar de Vasconcelos Marques
The literature on the factors that enhance ecogamification and the intention to use smart tourism applications is vast and increasing. However, most studies tend to focus on the…
Abstract
Purpose
The literature on the factors that enhance ecogamification and the intention to use smart tourism applications is vast and increasing. However, most studies tend to focus on the “user”, rather than the “tourist”, and that gap is the trigger for the present research. The purpose of this paper is to examine how home and travel environmental behaviour, travel motivations, types of entertainment (digital and non-digital) and technology proficiency (professional vs non-professional) influence the receptivity of urban tourists to different game elements in a transport and mobility context.
Design/methodology/approach
The study carried out a qualitative experiment with focus groups, with a total of 16 urban tourists. The software webQDA was used to systematize and categorize data and to analyze the content.
Findings
The results suggest differences and similarities in terms of receptivity of urban tourists to ecogamification, which might have implications for future studies on urban tourists’ typologies and segments and also for providers of ecogamified services, game designers and marketers.
Originality/value
Rather than addressing the game elements per se (which, in this research, are seen as means to an end), the novelty resides in the combination of characteristics that intersect urban tourism (travel motivations), gamification (entertainment preferences and technology proficiency) and sustainability (home–travel environmental behaviour). This intersection provides a lens to interpret tourists’ receptivity and interaction with different game elements (cooperation, reward, points, avatar and ranking).
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Tomas Lopez-Guzman and Francisco Gonzalez Santa-Cruz
The development of heritage tourism has experienced a great development in recent years, mostly centred in the cities that are World Heritage. This paper aims to present an…
Abstract
Purpose
The development of heritage tourism has experienced a great development in recent years, mostly centred in the cities that are World Heritage. This paper aims to present an analysis of the relationship between Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) declared by UNESCO and tourism development associated therewith.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology used in this research consisted of a fieldwork to determine the socio-demographic profile and perceptions of foreign tourists participating in this intangible cultural event. Additionally, the features of this tourist destination are also analysed.
Findings
The main results of this research shows the high cultural level of tourist respondents, the significant economic level of travellers and the perceptions of heritage tourists in participation in the Festival.
Research limitations/implications
The expansion of this line of research is to include other ICH; this should contribute to the generalisation of the knowledge acquired in this subject.
Practical implications
The main practical implications are centred on better understanding of the key factors involved in the relation between intangible cultural heritage and tourism.
Social implications
This study highlights the features that a heritage tourist destination must have to create a sustainable tourism destination with a combination of culture and tourism.
Originality/value
Heritage, generally tangible cultural heritage, is used as a resource in the destinations. This paper analyses the relationship between intangible cultural heritage and tourism, an aspect little studied by the scientific literature.
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Natalia Vorobiova, Patrícia Pinto, Pedro Pintassilgo and Joice Lavandoski
This paper addresses the motivations of tourists who visit the region of La Rioja, Spain, which is well known for its internationally recognized, high-quality wines, yet remains…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper addresses the motivations of tourists who visit the region of La Rioja, Spain, which is well known for its internationally recognized, high-quality wines, yet remains understudied as a wine tourism destination. The paper aims to ascertain whether tourists are attracted to La Rioja because of its famous wines and wine-related activities or if other motivations exist.
Design/methodology/approach
The data were derived from 217 questionnaires regarding tourists’ motivations. A tourist survey was applied in La Rioja’s capital city, Logroño, and segmentation analysis was undertaken. The data were first grouped into five factors regarding motivations for one’s visit. These factors were then used to create two clusters: “wine tourists” and “other tourists”.
Findings
The results enabled us to detect different segments of tourists. The existence of two clusters suggests that tourists are motivated to visit the region for various reasons that are not necessarily wine-related. Thus, the region should be marketed to tourists beyond the theme of wine, as there is a demand for diverse experiences.
Originality/value
Using the push and pull theory, this study contributes to the literature on the profile of visitors to wine tourism destinations by identifying differences in terms of motivations and other personal characteristics between “wine tourists” and the “other tourists”. It also adds to the few existing studies on wine tourism segmentation in Spain through its focus on La Rioja, which is one of the most famous Spanish wine tourism destinations.
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