Motivation, satisfaction and loyalty in outdoor tourism

Outdoor tourism is a topic that has been increasingly studied since its practice has been growing. So, understanding motivation, satisfaction and loyalty are essential in planning. In this regard, this study aimed to analyse the relationship between motivation, sa tisfaction, and loyalty among practitioners of outdoor activities in the Northern Region of Portugal. To this purpose, a questionnaire was applied to 216 practitioners of outdoor activities in the Northern Region of Portugal. Three hypotheses were defined; two were tested with Stepwise Multiple Regression and one with linear regression. The results highlighted the existence of a relationship between motivation, satisfaction, and loyalty and between satisfaction and loyalty, corroborating the hypotheses. This demonstrates the importance of knowing the reasons why outdoor activities practitioners choose the region, and how they are satisfied and will transform satisfaction into loyalty. Knowing these factors will enable more effective destination planning that fits practitioners' needs.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Índice do sentimento do consumidor português em relação ao marketing-mix em contexto de crise

The purpose of this research is to better understand the behaviour of the Portuguese consumer sentiment index toward marketing-mix in a crisis context. For this purpose we used an instrument translated and validated by the Index of Consumer Sentiment toward Marketing proposed by Gaski and Etzel (1986). This Index was used in this research since it offers a widely accepted and readily understood approach to measure citizen experiences as consumers in a society. All analysis was based on a consumer survey. The survey procedures resulted in 600 usable surveys, distributed by five regions (NUT II) in Continental Portugal. A 4% precision error and 5% of significance level were assumed. The results showed that the Portuguese consumer sentiment index toward marketing-mix is weakly positive and could be a consequence of the present economic and financial context that the country is undergoing.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Comportamento da procura turística: região Norte de Portugal

No presente artigo pretende-se avaliar o desempenho e a competitividade do destino turístico - Região Norte de Portugal, utilizando-se para tal o instrumento de análise proposto por Faulkner. Numa segunda fase e para se quantificar os fluxos turísticos vai desenvolver-se um modelo resultante da aplicação de Redes Neuronais Artificiais. A utilização desta metodologia centrou-se na análise e modelação da série temporal de turismo: Dormidas Mensais na Região Norte de Portugal, registadas no período de Janeiro de 1987 a Dezembro de 2004. O modelo obtido apresentou qualidades estatísticas e de ajustamento aceitáveis evidenciando ser adequado para a modelação e previsão da série de referência.The objective of this study is to evaluate the performance and the competitiveness of the tourism destination especially the northern region of Portugal, based on the Faulkner model. The Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model is used to quantify the tourism demand. The methodology was focused in the analysis and modulation of the tourism time series: Monthly Nights Spent in Hotel Establishments in the North of Portugal, registered between January 1987 and December 2004. The developed model yielded acceptable goodness of fit and statistical properties and therefore it is adequate for the modulation and prediction of the reference time series

Acoustic Analysis of Vocal Dysphonia

AbstractVoice acoustic analysis is becoming more and more useful in diagnosis of voice disorders or laryngological pathologies. The facility to record a voice signal is an advantage over other invasive techniques. This paper presents the statistical analyzes of a set of voice parameters like jitter, shimmer and HNR over a 4 groups of subjects with dysphonia, functional dysphonia, hyperfunctional dysphonia, and psychogenic dysphonia and a control group. No statistical significance differences over pathologic groups were found but clear tendencies can be seen between pathologic and control group. The tendencies indicates this parameters as a good features to be used in an intelligent diagnosis system, moreover the jitter and shimmer parameters measured over different tones and vowels

The Application of Sustainable Practices in Tourism: The Case of Olive-growing in the Region of Trás-os-Montes

Several authors have argued that oleotourism can be associated with different niches that fall into this segment, such as gastronomic, cultural, rural, and health tourism. Furthermore, the development of activities such as oleotourism is carried out under the prism of sustainability, considering the economic, social and environmental components. This study had a double objective: to identify sustainable practices in tourism, in the case of olives, to understand better how sustainable practices contribute to the development of olive cultivation. Hence, a qualitative methodology used the MAXQDA program, consisting of a literature review and collecting preliminary information from different producers in the Trás-os-Montes region through semi-structured interviews. The results show that sustainability and tourism are intertwined in empirical contexts due to the intervention of other global institutions. The results indicate that the link between tourism and olive grove practices is important and could contribute to regional development. Also, sustainable practices are important for numerous reasons. It is impossible to streamline and develop an activity without considering its sustainability

Tourism destinations competitiveness: the case of Cape Verde islands

O principal objetivo deste trabalho de investigação focaliza -se no estudo da avaliação do desempenho e da competitividade dos destinos turísticos das ilhas de Cabo Verde por principais mercados emissores, tendo por base os dados das dormidas mensais nos estabelecimentos hoteleiros para o período de 2005 a 2011. Utilizou -se para o efeito o instrumento da Análise da Quota de Mercado proposto por Faulkner (1997), bem como o índice de Gini e a Dissemelhança entre os destinos turísticos nos principais mercados emissores, para melhor complementar o estudo em análise. Os resultados obtidos revelaram que as ilhas registaram alterações na competitividade turística, apresentaram níveis de competitividade turística distintos para as várias origens. Em relação ao Índice de Gini, em termos nacionais verificou -se uma diminuição de concentração de dormidas. Quanto à dissemelhança, a ilha da Boavista foi a região mais singular e os pares São Nicolau e Brava foram as mais semelhantes entre si.The main goal of this research focuses on studying the performance and competitiveness of tourism destinations of the Cape Verde islands by main outbond markets. It was used the data of monthly overnight stays in hotels for the period 2005 to 2011. For that it was used the instrument Analysis of Market Share proposed by Faulkner (1997), as well as the Gini Index and the Dissimilarity among tourist destinations in major outbound markets, to better complement the study analysis. The results showed that the islands have changed in the tourism competitiveness, presented levels of tourism competitiveness different for the various origins. Concerning the Gini Index, nationally there was a decrease in concentration of overnights. As the dissimilarity, the island of Boavista was the most singular region and São Nicolau and Brava were the most similar

Trust and perceived risk in consumer behaviour: a preliminary study in electronic commerce

The digital world has come to challenge companies, approaching everyone everywhere. Challenges that extend to all levels, not only economic, but also at a relational level, since the relationships themselves, and the way in which people relate and behave, have also undergone modifications. Its indefinite nature, among the news about the various unlawfulness that have occurred in the digital medium, make the online consumer develop a certain prudence in the use of this medium, especially in regard to their trust in it. Thus, it is clear the need for companies operating in this medium, in addition to addressing new business models and take advantage of the great benefits offered by this new digital era, including in their strategies the needs and expectations of their customers, achieving what build a reliable image. Taking into account the above, this paper seeks to understand the role of trust in the online environment in Portugal and technological information for users. In particular, a conceptual model, to be empirically tested, will be proposed and analysed. The authors suggest the relationship between different variables in the online context (i.e. trust, perceived risk, perceived usefulness, ease of use and purchase intention). From the analysis of these data it was possible to conclude that perceived risk and perceived ease of use presented a strong relationship with trust. Regarding the purchase intention, the variables that showed the greatest influence were perceived risk, perceived ease of use and trust. In an interdisciplinary perspective, the present manuscript presents contributions to the area of electronic marketing, relational marketing and consumer behaviour. In the end, some conclusions and next lines of research will be presented.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

How does circular economy work in industry? Strategies, opportunities, and trends in scholarly literature

The concept of circular economy (CE) has been a topic of interest for researchers, managers, and policy makers. It is recognised as the latest attempt to balance industrial development, environmental health, and economic growth. Although academic literature in this field has been gradually developing, it is limited in its analysis in terms of economic and competitive opportunity in the face of different strategies. This article provides a holistic view by mapping the literature on strategies-based EC for the economic competitiveness of companies through a systematic literature review supported on the co-citation bibliometric technique. To this end, 126 articles were selected and organised into 5 clusters: (i) strategic applications of CE; (ii) mediating factors for implementing CE strategies; (iii) drivers of CE strategies; (iv) determinants used to promote CE; and (v) emerging digital technologies used to enable CE practices. The results of this study help practitioners assess EC from a new point of view and design competitive strategies for a circular model without neglecting economic growth and competitive advantage, in addition to serving as crucial evidence for policymakers, helping them leverage policies to circumvent sustainability concerns and promote circularity. A future agenda for detailed cluster-based research is put forward based on the identified gaps, including a framework to help managers set priorities to escape the zero-profit trend associated with green and sustainable practices.This work is financed by national funds through FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I. P., under the project "UIDB/04630/2020".info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Práticas de sustentabilidade no quotidiano e no âmbito do turismo

The concern and desire to follow sustainable practices is increasing, which makes tourists take this into account when choosing a tourism destination. The general objective of this paper is to analyze the di erence between tourists' sustainable behavior in their daily lives and in the context of tourism. To answer the objectives of this study, we opted for a quantitative methodological approach since this research aims to study population behavior, opinions, and values. The results suggest that although in their daily lives' individuals adopt sustainable practices, sometimes it doesn't happen in the context of tourism. It was veri ed that if individuals felt they had the resources to adopt sustainable practices in the context of tourism, they would more often do so. Also, word of mouth, the perceived image of the destination, and guest reviews positively in uence the intention to visit a destination that adopts sustainable practices. This study helps to recognize the sustainable practices most frequently adopted, those that do not present di erences in the two contexts, and nally, the tools considered most important in the decision to visit a sustainable tourism destination.A preocupação e interesse em seguir práticas sustentáveis é cada vez maior, e os turistas vão tendo isso em atenção no momento da escolha por um determinado destino turístico. Este artigo tem como objetivo geral analisar a diferença entre o comportamento sustentável dos turistas no seu quotidiano e no contexto do Turismo. Para atingir os objetivos deste estudo, optámos por uma abordagem metodológica quantitativa, uma vez que esta investigação visa o estudo do comportamento da população, das suas opiniões e valores. Os resultados sugerem que, embora os indivíduos possam adotar práticas sustentáveis no seu quotidiano, tal nem sempre acontece no contexto do Turismo. Verificou-se que, em contexto do Turismo, se os indivíduos constatassem a existência de recursos adequados para adotar práticas sustentáveis, fá-lo-iam com mais frequência. Também se verificou que ferramentas como o "boca a boca", a imagem percebida do destino e as avaliações influenciam positivamente a escolha de destinos que adotem práticas sustentáveis. Este estudo contribui para reconhecer as práticas sustentáveis que são mais frequentemente adotadas e as que passam do quotidiano para o contexto do turismo e, ainda, as ferramentas consideradas mais importantes na escolha de destinos turísticos sustentáveis.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Satisfaction to compete? Proposal of a model for health and wellness tourism

Purpose: The main objective of this research was to develop an index to assess the perceived value of tourism services at the level of customer satisfaction by applying it in the context of health and wellness tourism. Methodology: Using exploratory factorial analysis (EFA), the model’s constructs were identified, and the satisfaction index of thermal customers was estimated. This method was applied to a set of data collected through a questionnaire distributed to users from thermal spa of Chaves, Portugal, through probabilistic sampling. A total of 107 participants were obtained, with a response ratio of 53.5%. Results: Participants expressed a high level of satisfaction due to the perceived quality of various services offered, including the infrastructure and technical team. The satisfaction index of the technical team is higher than that of the infrastructures and services provided, representing the highest contribution rate to the global model.Limitations: As limitations, other variables that influence customer satisfaction could have been included, such as prices, emotional components, and corporate social responsibility. Furthermore, only customer satisfaction in a particular thermal establishment was analysed. Future academics studies can compare the model with other establishments and/or contexts, identifying critical points and strategies to continuously improve customer satisfaction. Practical implications: By establishing a thermal customer satisfaction index, tourism authorities and the different economic agents can obtain objective information on the results of thermal services. Tourism managers can thus set goals for improvement, competitiveness, and loyalty. Originality: This study's unique contribution lies in how thermal customer satisfaction index or indicators are easily measured by applying EFA. A new approach is used to measure satisfaction based on a scale from 0 to 100%. The index results are very useful for making decisions on resource allocation and comparing different thermal establishments compared to traditional techniques.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio