Religious Tourism versus Secular Pilgrimage: The Basilica of La Sagrada Família

In recent decades, the number of tourists visiting religious buildings of special cultural attraction, mainly due to their exceptional architecture, has significantly increased. In such cases, it is hard to discern whether it is a question of religious tourism or of so-called secular pilgrimage. This paper analyses this issue by means of a paradigmatic case study: The Basilica of La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Catalonia, a Roman Catholic church that receives over 3 million visitors a year; the part of the “unfinished cathedral”, built under the direction of Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi, was registered in 2005 as a cultural site on UNESCO’s World Heritage List; and the church was consecrated in 2010 as a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI. The methodology used consists of two parts: the study of events and circumstances that may have influenced the projected religious or secular image of the basilica, and the analysis of the image perceived by visitors. Perceived image is obtained through a quantitative content analysis of more than 10,000 online travel reviews (OTRs) on La Sagrada Familia, written by foreign tourists from five English-speaking countries. OTRs, as user-generated content (UGC), are a trustworthy source for analysing perceived and transmitted image. To ensure the quality of the results in the case study, the most suitable websites hosting OTRs are selected by applying a weighted formula, and then these OTRs are downloaded, classified, cleaned and debugged so that the HTML pages collected contain only what is written by the user, preserving the original format. Through a quantitative content analysis, we construct a table displaying the frequencies, density and weight of keywords is constructed, which are in turn categorized, and segmented by nationality, to observe in detail the density and weight of keywords related to feelings and religion. Our findings suggest a prevalence of cultural over religious motives for visiting La Sagrada Familia, and that Irish and British OTRs stand out for their content of good feelings while North-American OTRs are notable for containing keywords related to the Christian religion

Analytics in Hospitality and Tourism: Online Travel Reviews

User-generated content, shared with other users through social media, has increased considerably in the previous decade. In particular, the content generated by travelers, mainly online travel reviews (OTRs), has grown dramatically. This abundant recorded information has served as a basis for conducting numerous researches on big data and social media analytics. Reviewers share their OTRs on travel-related websites including peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation platforms and online travel agencies (OTAs). The aim of this chapter is to offer an overview of the state of the art of hospitality and tourism analytics based on OTRs, and explore the possibilities of gaining insight, through OTRs, about perceived image and visitor preferences. In the context of hospitality prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, empirical substantiation is obtained by crossing paratextual data from hotels, registered on TripAdvisor and in three OTAs indexed in the Nasdaq 100 (Booking, Expedia and Ctrip), located in five tourist cities (Barcelona, Cape Town, Los Angeles, Singapore, and Sydney). Regarding the content analysis of OTRs text, although there are numerous publications on Airbnb (the main P2P lodging platform), research on the influence of Airbnb OTRs on destination image construction is scarce. Therefore, the content of the Airbnb OTRs of these five cities is explored in search of patterns and metrics that allow us to measure the image perceived and transmitted by visitors

Analytics in Hospitality and Tourism: Online Travel Reviews

User-generated content, shared with other users through social media, has increased considerably in the previous decade. In particular, the content generated by travelers, mainly online travel reviews (OTRs), has grown dramatically. This abundant recorded information has served as a basis for conducting numerous researches on big data and social media analytics. Reviewers share their OTRs on travel-related websites including peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation platforms and online travel agencies (OTAs). The aim of this chapter is to offer an overview of the state of the art of hospitality and tourism analytics based on OTRs, and explore the possibilities of gaining insight, through OTRs, about perceived image and visitor preferences. In the context of hospitality prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, empirical substantiation is obtained by crossing paratextual data from hotels, registered on TripAdvisor and in three OTAs indexed in the Nasdaq 100 (Booking, Expedia and Ctrip), located in five tourist cities (Barcelona, Cape Town, Los Angeles, Singapore, and Sydney). Regarding the content analysis of OTRs text, although there are numerous publications on Airbnb (the main P2P lodging platform), research on the influence of Airbnb OTRs on destination image construction is scarce. Therefore, the content of the Airbnb OTRs of these five cities is explored in search of patterns and metrics that allow us to measure the image perceived and transmitted by visitors

Búsqueda y compartición de información en las redes sociales durante las distintas fases del viaje

ABSTRACT: There are three phases in the use of online social media by tourists: before, during and after the trip. The aim of this study is to determine what social network users use to find information before and during the trip, the type of information they search, and where they share information. The study also identifies the relationship this has with the trustworthiness social networks provide them, especially distinguishing the social networks managed by the destination organizations. Therefore, we conduct a survey of 800 tourists who are social network users. Results show that social networks are not a major source of information before or during the trip but are very important for sharing contents after the experience, and that the most searched information concerns the main attractions of the destination. Moreover, there is a relationship between the use of social media and their perceived trustworthiness. In this case, for those who use social networks managed by destinations, these give them greater confidence.RESUMEN: Existen tres fases en el uso de los medios sociales en línea por parte de los turistas: antes, durante y después del viaje. El objetivo de este estudio es determinar qué red social es la más utilizada por los usuarios para encontrar información antes y durante el viaje, qué tipo de información buscan, y donde comparten información. El estudio también identifica la relación que esto tiene con la confianza que las redes sociales les aportan, distinguiendo especialmente las redes sociales gestionadas por las organizaciones de destino. Para ello, se administró un cuestionario a 800 turistas que son usuarios de medios sociales. Los resultados muestran que las redes sociales no son una fuente principal de información antes o durante el viaje, pero sí son muy importantes para compartir contenidos después de la experiencia y que la información más buscada concierne las atracciones principales del destino. Además, hay una relación entre el uso de los medios sociales y la confianza percibida por los usuarios. En este caso, para aquellos que utilizan las redes sociales gestionadas por los destinos, estas les aportan mayor confianza

Imatge de Catalunya percebuda per turistes angloparlants i castellanoparlants

Des de fa una dècada, s'ha multiplicat notablement el volum dels continguts en línia generats per usuaris i consumidors (UGC), juntament amb l'expansió dels mitjans de comunicació socials. En el camp de l'hoteleria i del turisme, s'ha produït un increment exponencial de les opinions en línia sobre viatges (OTR). En aquest article es proposa un mètode per analitzar les produccions paratextuals lligades a les OTR i extreure'n la imatge percebuda de la destinació segons la procedència dels turistes. El mètode s'aplica a una mostra aleatòria de 330.000 OTR allotjades a TripAdvisor, sobre Coses per Fer a Catalunya, escrites en castellà o en anglès entre 2011 i 2015. D'acord amb les opinions analitzades, pel que fa a la imatge percebuda (i transmesa) pels turistes de parla anglesa i, en especial, pels nord-americans, es pot concloure en síntesi que Catalunya és Barcelona i que Barcelona és Gaudí.In the last decade, the volume of consumer and user-generated content (UGC) has increased notably alongside the expansion of social media. In the hospitality and tourism field, online travel reviews (OTRs) have grown exponentially. This article proposes a method to analyse the paratextual productions attached to OTRs and to extract from them the perceived image of the destination according to the tourists' origin. This method is applied to a random sample of 330,000 OTRs hosted in TripAdvisor about Things to Do in Catalonia written in Spanish or English from 2011 to 2015. According to the analysis of these opinions concerning the perceived (and transmitted) image among English-speaking and, especially, North American tourists, the main conclusion is that Catalonia is Barcelona and Barcelona is Gaudí.En lo que va de década, se ha multiplicado notablemente el volumen de los contenidos en línea generados por usuarios y consumidores (UGC), junto con la expansión de los medios de comunicación sociales. En el campo de la hostelería y del turismo, se ha producido un incremento exponencial de las opiniones en línea sobre viajes (OTR). En este artículo se propone un método para analizar las producciones paratextuales ligadas a las OTR y extraer de ellas la imagen percibida del destino según la procedencia de los turistas. El método se aplica a una muestra aleatoria de 330.000 OTR alojadas en TripAdvisor, sobre Cosas para Hacer en Cataluña, escritas en castellano o inglés entre 2011 y 2015. Según las opiniones analizadas, por lo que respecta a la imagen percibida (y transmitida) por los turistas de habla inglesa y, en especial, por los norteamericanos, se puede concluir en síntesis que Cataluña es Barcelona y Barcelona es Gaudí.Lors de la dernière décénnie, le volume de contenus générés par les consommateurs ou usagers (UGC) s'est multiplié avec l'expansion des moyens de communication sociaux. Dans le domaine de l'hôtellerie et du tourisme, il y a eu une croissance exponentielle des opinions en ligne sur les voyages (OTRs). Cet article propose une méthode pour analyser les productions paratextuelles liées aux OTRs et en déduire l'image perçue de la destination selon la provenance des touristes. La méthode est appliquée à un échantillon de 330.000 OTRs recueillies sur TripAdvisor, sur les Choses à Faire en Catalogne, écrites en espagnol ou en anglais entre 2011 et 2015. Selon les opinions analysées et plus particulièrement selon celles des Nord-américains, on peut conclure en synthèse que la Catalogne se résume à Barcelone, et que Barcelone se résume à Gaudí

User-Generated Social Media Events in Tourism

Social media and mobile technologies have revolutionised communication and particular attention has been given to user-generated content (UGC) and the formation of online communities; however, little attention has been given to tourist events entirely generated by users through social media. This paper aims to define and characterise the phenomenon of tourism user-generated events (UGEs) through social media around the user’s new empowered role and to assess user-generated social media events’ online socialness. It is also our aim to provide a useful mixed-methodology analysis framework for UGEs in relation to social media and to highlight their interest for organisations. The methodological approach includes a quantitative model to store, analyse and compare events’ online socialness, which is combined with qualitative, participant observation at the events. This approach is applied to the analysis of three Instagram meetups organised by a specific online community at Catalan ski resorts. The paper’s results show the differential characteristic of tourism UGEs: user initiative and empowerment, full organisation and structure, great social media use and UGC production, brand dissemination, attraction capacity, strong online community bond and faithfulness. With UGEs, an event management paradigm shift occurs as organisations are no longer the main initiators and controllers of the event

Behaviour of culinary tourists: A segmentation study of diners at top-level restaurants

Aim: The main aim of this research is to characterize the tourists visiting top-level restaurants to ascertain the profile of this type of customer, their behaviour and their influence on the destinations where they are located. Design/methodology: During the months of July to December 2016, a survey was conducted on a sample of 187 tourists who had visited Michelin-starred restaurants in order to highlight the most valued aspects during the process of choosing, consulting and booking the top-level restaurant service. Contributions and results: The results reveal the existence of two segments whose behaviour is different, where the individuals of the first consider the culinary experience as the main reason for their tourist visit to the destination. In contrast, the second segment considers that their visit to the destination is the main reason for their tourism. Moreover, the diners from both segments display different behaviour in terms of their post-purchase, recommendation and intention to return behaviour and the perception of the status with which their visit to the restaurant provides them. Limitations: The main limitation of this study is the fact that only the responses of tourists who have visited top-level restaurants in Spain have been studied. Practical implications: The results of this study may help both the managers of restaurants of a certain level and the public authorities responsible for tourism to make decisions, since these types of restaurants are becoming tourist resources of the first order.  Social implications: Knowledge of the diner could facilitate the optimal management of the restaurant and help orient it as a tourist resource. In certain areas such a resource can become a pole of tourist attraction and contribute towards territorial balance thanks to the positive externalities it generates in the territory where such establishments are located. Added value: The present research focuses on the study of the behaviour of the culinary tourist in an increasingly popular type of tourism with high added value. Culinary tourism is also enormously important in the economy of the destination and for territorial development.  Therefore, this work may be of interest both for public authorities and the managers of this type of restaurant, and to create synergies between the two. This work comes to fill a gap in the literature of segmentation in the restoration, since there are few research that focus on segmentation according to consumer's motivations and perceptions, and none focus on its relationship to tourism at the destination

Desarrollo de las TIC en el turismo de nieve : análisis de la presencia en línea de las estaciones de esquí de España y Andorra

La presente investigación busca conocer si los sitios web de las estaciones de esquí de España y Andorra facilitan una comunicación eficaz con sus públicos objetivo. Para ello, se propone y se aplica un modelo para el análisis de las páginas web de las estaciones de esquí, basado en la técnica de análisis de contenido, considerando las dimensiones de información, comunicación, comercio electrónico y funciones adicionales. Este modelo se aplicó a la totalidad de las estaciones de esquí y montaña de España y Andorra: 31 alpinas, 21 nórdicas y 1 cubierta. Los resultados indican que las estaciones de esquí alpino están mejor preparadas que las de esquí nórdico, a pesar de que todavía tienen mucho recorrido por hacer a la hora de facilitar una comunicación y una interacción efectivas con su público objetivo.Desenvolupament de les TIC en el turisme de neu: Anàlisi de la presència en línia de les estacions d'esquí a Espanya i Andorra La present investigació busca conèixer si els llocs web de les estacions d'esquí d'Espanya i d'Andorra faciliten una comunicació eficaç amb els seus públics objectiu. Per aquest motiu, es proposa i s'aplica un model per analitzar les pàgines web de les estacions d'esquí, basat en la tècnica d'anàlisi de contingut i considerant les dimensions d'informació, comunicació, comerç electrònic i funcions addicionals. Aquest model es va aplicar a la totalitat de les estacions d'esquí i de muntanya d'Espanya i d'Andorra: 31 d'alpines, 21 de nòrdiques i 1 de coberta. Els resultats indiquen que les estacions d'esquí alpí estan més ben preparades que les d'esquí nòrdic, malgrat que encara tenen molt de recorregut per fer a l'hora de facilitar una comunicació i una interacció efectives amb el seu públic objectiu.The aim of this study is to analyse whether the websites of ski resorts in Spain and Andorra facilitate effective communication with their target audiences. To this end, we propose and implement a model for the analysis of ski resort websites based on the content analysis technique, considering the dimensions of Information, Communication, E-commerce and Additional Functions. This model applies to all ski resorts of Spain and Andorra: 31 Alpine, 21 Nordic and 1 Indoor. The results indicate that alpine ski resorts are better prepared than Nordic ski resorts although they still have a long way to go in order to facilitate effective communication and interaction with their target audiences.Cette recherche vise à savoir si les sites web des stations de ski en Espagne et en Andorre fournissent une communication efficace avec leurs publics cibles. À cette fin, nous proposons et appliquons un modèle pour l'analyse des sites web des stations de ski fondé sur la technique d'analyse du contenu, en considérant les aspects de l'information, de la communication, du commerce électronique et des fonctions supplémentaires. Ce modèle s'applique à toutes les stations de ski de l'Espagne et de l'Andorre: 31 de skialpin, 21 de ski nordique et 1 indoor. Les résultats indiquent que les stations de ski alpin sont mieux préparées que celles de ski nordique bien qu'elles aient encore beaucoup de chemin à parcourir pour faciliter unecommunication efficace et l'interaction avec leur public cible