Rural Tourism: a comparative analyses from Galicia and North of Portugal

This paper unveils the results stemming from two parallel researches, whose scope of analysis was tourism in rural areas (TRA) structures, as established in both northeast regions of the Iberia Peninsula which shape the Euro-region Galicia-North of Portugal. Firstly, a descriptive analysis of the regulations and the TRA supply for both territories is presented, and an evaluation of the strategies which have been followed by the private entrepreneurs and the public administration of each of them, as far as the utilisation of resources is concerned, is done. The symmetries and asymmetries of the touristic structures of those regions are also underlined. In the second part of this study, the above mentioned strategies will be discussed at length seeking to pinpoint how they configure and shape very similar touristic models based upon the use of natural and historical resources, which somehow display common features. Finally, it is sought to materialise a brief conclusion. Key Words: Tourism in Rural Areas (TRA), touristic strategies, TRA models

The tourism potential of board regions - endogenous resources and destination image evaluation

Tourism has an enormous potential while instrument of regional development. However, the opportunities are not the same for each territory and it is easy to understand that, considering the resources available, not every region has the choice to base its development strategy in the touristic industry. Taking this in consideration, the mission of classifying, evaluating and compare, from a consistent and realistic point a view, several groups of tourist resources became a necessary task and a precondition to define the touristic vocation of a region. This approach allows to select the best alternative to tourism development. The paper attempts to catalogue the tourist resources of the selected territory and to evaluate the different sort of resources available, using several classification approaches, aiming to calculate its index of touristic potential. We believe that the before mention methodology might be a valuable instrument to identify the strongnesses and weaknesses of the Minho-Lima sub-region (Portugal) in what refers to its touristic development, as well as the degree of integration of the tourism sector in the local productive system.

Cultural destination’s attributes and tourists’ satisfaction: Differences between first time and repeated visits

Considering the importance of tourists’ satisfaction in regards to their intentions of revisiting the destination and providing word-of-mouth referrals, this study attempts to investigate the differences between first time and repeated visitors in terms of the perceived attributes of cultural/heritage destinations, tourists’ satisfaction and intention to return and to recommend a destination. The current case study is the city of Guimarães, in Portugal. The research methodology consists of a quantitative approach based on a self-administered survey applied to tourists who visited Guimarães during 2015. Looking at the empirical results, it was possible to conclude that first time and recurrent visitors showed no noticeable difference in the way the perceived attributes of the destination were ranked. In terms of satisfaction, both first time and repeated visitors showed a high level of overall satisfaction with their visit. However, this aspect seems to be insufficient to guarantee their willingness to return. Based on the results, several recommendations may be made to increase tourists’ satisfaction vis-à-vis Guimarães, not forgetting tourists’ needs, attributes valorisation and cultural/heritage sustainability.This work has the financial support of UNIAG - Applied Management Research Unit, R&D unit funded by the FCT – Portuguese Foundation for the Development of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education, through national funds under the project UID/GES/04752/2016. This work has also the financial support of the Project Lab2PT - Laboratory of Landscapes, Heritage and Territory - AUR / 04509 and of FCTMEC through national funds and when applicable of the ERDF co-financing, under the new partnership agreement PT2020.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Residents’ perspectives on tourism impacts of Portuguese World Heritage historic centers: Angra do Heroísmo and Évora

The aim of this study is twofold. First, the study analyzes local community perspectives of the importance of the World Heritage Site (WHS) classification of the historic centers of Angra do Heroísmo and Évora. Second, the study analyzes local residents’ perceived tourism impacts on the municipalities of Angra do Heroísmo and Évora. The methodology comprises quantitative research based on a self-administered survey applied to convenience samples of local residents of the two Portuguese municipalities in 2014. The main results reveal that local residents have a strongly positive perception of the WHS designation in both municipalities. With regard to the perceived tourism impacts, residents from Angra do Heroísmo have a stronger agreement about the impacts of tourism on their city than the residents of Évora, except for the negative social and cultural impacts. The comparison of the mean scores of these impacts across residents that live near and far from the historic centers reveals that the most valued and least valued impacts in the three categories of impacts (economic, social and cultural, and environmental) are common to all groups of residents. Nevertheless, residents living in or near the historic center of Angra do Heroísmo have higher means in the majority of tourism impacts (in all categories), with only one negative impact to concern the majority of respondents. Among the residents from Évora, residents living in or near the historic center have higher means in the majority of economic impacts but lower means in almost social and cultural impacts. With regard to the environmental impacts, residents living in or near the historic center have higher means scores in the positive impacts and lower means scores in the negative environmental impacts

Uso sostenible de los recursos turísticos endógenos de las zonas rurales: dos estudios de casos portugueses

La evidencia empírica muestra que el turismo puede mostrarse como una contribución real al desarrollo regional y, en el caso de territorios remotos y económicamente deprimidos, es uno de los mejores sectores para conseguir estas metas. Este papel del turismo es posible sacando beneficio de la dotación de recursos endógenos de esos territorios. Mientras tanto, las oportunidades no son las mismas para cada región y es fácil de comprender que, considerando la disponibilidad de recursos, no todos podrán optar por el sector del turismo como estrategia de desarrollo. De otro lado, el desarrollo sostenible depende tanto de la conservación como de la valorización de los recursos potenciales y de la diversificación de las actividades y productos turísticos, además de las opciones de los agentes y gestores. Partiendo de la investigación empírica llevada a cabo en las municipalidades portuguesas de Caminha y Paredes de Coura, y en las que se encuentra interesada la Tourism in Rural Areas (TRA), nosotros presentamos en este artículo una evaluación preliminar de los impactos sociales y económicos de las estrategias turísticas seguidas. También apuntamos algunas implicaciones que persiguen mejorar futuros diseños para la dotación de recursos en estos territorios. Partimos de que el turismo se basa en la calidad, lo cual sirve a los intereses de las poblaciones locales.Empirical evidence shows that tourism can give a real contribution to regional development and, in the case of certain remote and economic lagged territories, it is one of the best sectors to achieve this goal. This role of tourism as to do, namely, with the possibility of taking profit from the endogenous resources endowment of these territories. Meanwhile, the opportunities are not the same for each region and it is easy to understand that, considering the resources available, not every one has the choice to base its development strategy in the tourism sector. On the other hand, sustainable development depends, both, on conservation and valorisation of the resources potential and on diversification of tourism activities and products, no matter the agents or policy options are. Based on empirical research carried out in Caminha and Paredes de Coura portuguese municipalities, and in what Tourism in Rural Areas (TRA) is concerned, we present in this paper a preliminary evaluation of the social and economic impacts of the tourism strategies followed. We also aim to extract some policy implications in order to better design future approaches to this issue of taking profit from resources endowment of territories. The starting point is the one of tourism based on quality, which serves the interests of local populations

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Resumen: La evidencia empírica muestra que el turismo puede mostrarse como una contribución real al desarrollo regional y, en el caso de territorios remotos y económicamente deprimidos, es uno de los mejores sectores para conseguir estas metas. Este papel del turismo es posible sacando beneficio de la dotación de recursos endógenos de esos territorios. Mientras tanto, las oportunidades no son las mismas para cada región y es fácil de comprender que, considerando la disponibilidad de recursos, no todos podrán optar por el sector del turismo como estrategia de desarrollo. De otro lado, el desarrollo sostenible depende tanto de la conservación como de la valorización de los recursos potenciales y de la diversificación de las actividades y productos turísticos, además de las opciones de los agentes y gestores. Partiendo de la investigación empírica llevada a cabo en las municipalidades portuguesas de Caminha y Paredes de Coura, y en las que se encuentra interesada la Tourism in Rural Areas (TRA), nosotros presentamos en este artículo una evaluación preliminar de los impactos sociales y económicos de las estrategias turísticas seguidas. También apuntamos algunas implicaciones que persiguen mejorar futuros diseños para la dotación de recursos en estos territorios. Partimos de que el turismo se basa en la calidad, lo cual sirve a los intereses de las poblaciones locales. Palabras clave: Recursos endógenos; Desarrollo sostenible; Turismo en áreas rurales. Abstract: Empirical evidence shows that tourism can give a real contribution to regional development and, in the case of certain remote and economic lagged territories, it is one of the best sectors to achieve this goal. This role of tourism as to do, namely, with the possibility of taking profit from the endogenous resources endowment of these territories. Meanwhile, the opportunities are not the same for each region and it is easy to understand that, considering the resources available, not every one has the choice to base its development strategy in the tourism sector. On the other hand, sustainable development depends, both, on conservation and valorisation of the resources potential and on diversification of tourism activities and products, no matter the agents or policy options are. Based on empirical research carried out in Caminha and Paredes de Coura portuguese municipalities, and in what Tourism in Rural Areas (TRA) is concerned, we present in this paper a preliminary evaluation of the social and economic impacts of the tourism strategies followed. We also aim to extract some policy implications in order to better design future approaches to this issue of taking profit from resources endowment of territories. The starting point is the one of tourism based on quality, which serves the interests of local populations

Sustainable use of endogenous touristic resources of rural areas: two portuguese case studies

Empirical evidence shows that tourism can give a real contribution to regional development and, in the case of certain remote and economic lagged territories, it is one of the best sectors to achieve this goal. This role of tourism as to do, namely, with the possibility of taking profit from the endogenous resources endowment of these territories. Meanwhile, the opportunities are not the same for each region and it is easy to understand that, considering the resources available, not every one has the choice to base its development strategy in the tourism sector. On the other hand, sustainable development depends, both, on conservation and valorisation of the resources potential and on diversification of tourism activities and products, no matter the agents or policy options are. Based on empirical research carried out in Caminha and Paredes de Coura portuguese municipalities, and in what Tourism in Rural Areas (TRA) is concerned, we present in this paper a preliminary evaluation of the social and economic impacts of the tourism strategies followed. We also aim to extract some policy implications in order to better design future approaches to this issue of taking profit from resources endowment of territories. The starting point is the one of tourism based on quality, which serves the interests of local population

The importance of museums in the tourist development and the motivations of their visitors: an analysis of the Costume Museum in Viana do Castelo

Purpose – This study reflects on heritage, culture and museums as vectors of the tourist development of a destination. Considering the challenges inherent in the efficient correlation of these three areas, this study intends to demonstrate the clear benefits resulting from knowledge sharing and effective cooperation. Design/methodology/approach – Based on the objectives outlined, the authors conducted a survey of the visitors of the Costume Museum, which was chosen for being one of the unmistakable icons identifying the cultural heritage of Viana do Castelo (Portugal). Findings – In an increasingly competitive tourist market, with demand resulting from growing specialization, the integration of museological spaces as patrimonial and cultural elements in the supply of tourist destinations is an important factor in differentiation and development. Research limitations/implications – To enhance the importance of the Costume Museum in the process of the tourist development of the city, it is fundamental to define a clear strategy for attracting and responding to the greatest demand from cultural tourists who are increasingly interested in actively participating in learning experiences. It is believed that a larger sample could strengthen the conclusions, eventually more relevant and closer to the reality. Practical implications – The results show that visitors to the Costume Museum very positively evaluated the museum with regard to several factors covered in this study. However, there is a great dependence on school visits. On the other hand, lower qualitative evaluations were made by older age groups and those with higher academic degrees, although the evaluations remain positive. Social implications – The paper presents museums as a possible factor in tourism development and social inclusion, advancing practical measures aimed at social justice through a fairer distribution of tourism revenues and the defense of historic centre residents’ way, and quality, of life. Originality/value – This paper examines the importance of the Costume Museum in the tourist development of Viana do Castelo (Portugal). This study reflects on heritage, culture and museums as vectors of the tourist development of a destination. Particular attention is given to visitors’ motivations for visiting and their opinions about the quality of service, satisfaction and loyalty regarding this museum

A INFLUÊNCIA DA CRISE NA ESCOLHA PELO CONSUMIDOR ENTRE AGÊNCIAS DE VIAGENS OU OPERADORES ON-LINE

The global financial crisis in recent years has triggered people to re-evaluate their perception of their daily lives. We are witnessing the emergence of new rehabilitation routines and ways of living. It is thus the birth of a new awareness of choice in daily habits. This new perception also reflects on special occasions and times in people’s lives, such as the choice of being able to take a vacation, which for many is the largest expenditure of the year. When and how much they can spend to enjoy a week of vacation with family. The methodology used in this study was quantitative, based on a questionnaire applied to students in several higher education institutions in Portugal (post-graduate and master’s degrees). 412 valid surveys were obtained. Taking the case of the students, and by implementing a survey about the choice of tourist suppliers, it intends to examine to what extent the crisis affects the demand of people through travel agencies or through online services. This study also seeks to understand the differences in the behaviour of consumers who use, or do not use the web when they intend to travel; the motivations when searching for travel websites, tourism products and suppliers; the types of products; and motivations for choosing travel agencies and corresponding consumer satisfaction and loyalty. The study concluded that, in general, the economic crisis has influenced the choice of the consumer by online suppliers. There were also differences in the motivations and characteristics most valued, depending on the demand of online or traditional suppliers.A crise que tem abalado as economias nos últimos anos despoletou nas pessoas novas formas de entendimento do seu quotidiano. Assiste-se ao surgimento de uma nova readaptação nas rotinas e de maneiras de estar na vida. Verifica-se, assim, o nascer de uma nova consciencialização de escolha nos hábitos diários. Esta nova percepção também se reflete em situações especiais da vida das pessoas, como é o caso da escolha das férias que, para muitas, é a despesa mais avultada do ano: quando, como e quanto podem despender para usufruir de uma semana de férias com a família. A metodologia utilizada neste estudo foi de caráter quantitativo, com base num questionário aplicado a estudantes em várias instituições de ensino superior em Portugal (pós-graduações e mestrados), tendo sido obtidos 412 inquéritos válidos. Tomando o caso dos estudantes, e através da implementação de um inquérito acerca da escolha do fornecedor turístico, pretende-se verificar em que medida a crise influencia a procura das pessoas pelas agências de viagens ou pelos serviços on-line. Este estudo procura, igualmente, perceber as diferenças no comportamento dos consumidores que recorrem, ou não, à Web quando pretendem viajar, quais as motivações pela procura de fornecedores on-line e respectiva aquisição de serviços e produtos turísticos, quais os tipos de produtos, quais as motivações pela procura de agências de viagens e correspondente grau de satisfação e lealdade. O estudo concluiu que, de forma geral, a crise econômica influenciou a escolha do consumidor por fornecedores on-line em detrimento das agências de viagens tradicionais. Verificaram-se, igualmente, diferenças nas motivações e nas caraterísticas mais valorizadas, consoante a procura de fornecedores on-line ou tradicionais