Monitoring the quality of tourism experience

The new economic era the experience economy that we entered in the XXI century is challenging the overall tourism industry and destinations to respond to visitor expectations in a radically different way, demanding a new vision on what is truly being delivered to them. Within the current era, tourism businesses and destinations, in order to thrive and compete globally, are bound to recognize that experience, not goods or services, are what motivates visitors to travel, repeat visits to the destinations and recommend it to friends and relatives. Being so, a research agenda for tourism development and quality should place at its centre the nature of tourist experience and meanings of quality tourist experience from the stakeholders point of view, so that the industry actors can take joint action supported by in-depth knowledge of meanings attached to experience. With few exceptions, in tourism related literature, quality tourism experience has been largely overlooked. However, tourist experience and tourism experience have been discussed by Clawson [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9] among others. Clawson[1] wrote about recreation experience; Boorstin[2] discoursed on authenticity in tourist experience; Cohen[3], [4] studied the phenomenological tourist experience frames; MacCannell's[5] presented contemporaneous writings on tourist experience and authenticity. Pearce and Caltabiano[7] further extended consideration of traveller and tourist experience and authenticity with connections to motivations. Smith [6], Smith and Brent [8] addressed the interaction of host and guest in travel experience. Ryan [9] focused particularly on the `tourist experience'. Tourism and tourist experience past research have also focused on temporary and activity-based relationships [1] and some only on activity [10], [11]. Borrie and Birzell[12] presented four ways used to understand tourist and tourism experience. Those four ways include (1) meaningsbased[13], (2) benefits, (3) satisfaction[14], and (4) experience based means[4], [15]. Urry[16] introduced the notion of 'gaze' into considerations of tourist experience albeit 'his gazes' were challenged by Perkins and Thorns[17]. Although there has been considerable theoretical thinking on the subject, not much empirical research is available. One reason for this to happen is the multidimensional, complex and highly diversified nature of the tourist experience. Another reason is related to the fact that supporting constructs, namely satisfaction, quality and value, continue relatively ambiguous and are not always part of an integrated vision and consistent research. And yet, understanding of major and relevant dimensions of the tourist experience are of utmost importance to construct operationalization for effective experience management at destination level. The article proposes an integrated vision on how to monitor the quality of tourism in a mass tourism coastal destination the Algarve (Portugal). While analyzing the quality of the tourism experience from tourists' perspective represents the overall purpose of this paper, and the specific objectives are threefold. Firstly, the research intends to assess the tourists' perceptions on the four dimensions of the experience destination, attributes and compares them with satisfaction felt in terms of the same attributes. Secondly, it expects to provide an overall assessment of tourism experience. Thirdly, the study proposes to establish the relationship between tourist satisfaction and the tourist experience and destination loyalty.The questionnaires were based on the work of Oh, Fiori and Jeong [18], after having been adapted to the Algarve tourist destination context, and refer to the four areas of the Experience Economy: Education (items a, b, c, d), aesthetics (items e, f, g, h), Entertainment (i, j, k, l) and Escapism (m, n, o, p). The last three items- q, r, s are related to memory and memories. To that end, a survey was carried out sampling 405 individuals. Of the 397 valid questionnaires obtained, 90% were answered by tourists from Portugal, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland and the United Kingdom. The results show about 95% of the respondents are satisfied and very satisfied. Approximately 95.3% of the respondents say they are satisfied and very satisfied with their stay in the Algarve. About the quality of lived experience, 77.3% classified very good and excellent. One of the important findings of this research is that the majority of the respondents (93`)/0) intends to recommend the Algarve to friends and relatives. With this research, the team expects to contribute to a thorough understanding of tangible and intangible activities and attributes that form the underlying basis of the tourist experience in coastal tourism

Um contributo para o estudo da imagem das cidades enquanto destinos turísticos: o caso das cidades capitais europeias da cultura em 2010

Tese de dout., Ciências Económicas e Empresariais (Gestão), Faculdade de Economia, Univ. do Algarve, 2012Esta tese concentra-se no estudo da influência dos eventos culturais na problemática da imagem das cidades enquanto destinos turísticos. O principal objectivo da investigação consiste em avaliar a imagem das cidades Capitais Europeias da Cultura 2010 – Istambul, Pécs e Ruhr - enquanto destinos turísticos e verificar se o evento contribuiu para modificar a respectiva imagem. A natureza complexa e multidimensional que caracteriza o constructo da imagem e a intenção de contribuir para aprofundar o conhecimento científico sobre este assunto justificam a opção por um modelo explicativo através do qual foi possível estudar a relação entre as variáveis latentes objecto de estudo. A investigação empírica foi realizada nas cidades CEC em 2010 – Istambul, Pécs e Ruhr – através da recolha das opiniões dos turistas, em dois momentos distintos. O contributo dos eventos para a imagem global das cidades enquanto destinos turísticos é sugerido pela comparação dos resultados obtidos nos dois momentos considerados: antes e durante os eventos que integram a programação das Capitais Europeias da Cultura nas três cidades seleccionadas. O primeiro estudo, de natureza exploratória, promoveu a participação de um conjunto de peritos num processo que conduziu à identificação de 17 atributos cognitivos para avaliar a imagem das cidades enquanto destinos turísticos. O segundo estudo, de natureza qualitativa, permitiu identificar os atributos cognitivos equacionados com base na identidade de cada uma das três cidades. Os resultados apurados no âmbito do estudo quantitativo posteriormente realizado sugerem uma influência, globalmente positiva, do evento na imagem das cidades enquanto destinos turísticos. De um modo geral, verifica-se uma tendência para a aceitação das hipóteses de investigação formuladas com base na revisão de literatura, com especial incidência durante o evento. O contributo das diversas componentes da imagem para a formação da imagem global sofre alterações em função da cidade objecto de estudo e do momento em que o mesmo decorreu

Proyecto de intervención en salud comunitaria envejecimiento activo - madurar con salud

Objective: to implement the intervention project: Active Ageing – Ripen into Health, based upon a partnership of the Unidade de Cuidados na Comunidade (UCC) / Universidade Sénior. Method: methodology of the project, based on the ®Work Breakdown Structure. Documentary research was used. The data collection was carried out with the target population and stakeholders. The target population was constituted by the 23 students signed in the project. Two questionnaires were applied to them (The Method of Biopsychosocial Evaluation, from the Portuguese National Network for Integrated Continuous Care - Rede Nacional de Cuidados Continuados Integrados (RNCCI) and another one with the purpose to identify the suitable education needs for health); a questionnaire was made to the stakeholders (Identification of the suitable education needs for health) as well an interview was performed. The collected data have been subjected to statistical treatment and content analysis. Results: the analysis of the results obtained, allowed to structure an Intervention Programme based upon the National (Portugal) guidelines for the health of elderly people, suitable for the targeted, the available resources as well our purposes and final objective. Conclusion: The objectives were reached: the partnership proposed was implemented and the Intervention Programme is being carried out. The project promoted the reflexion and the work of the multidisciplinary and inter-sectoral team in the community; at the same time, it pointed out to the attention for the individual and collective responsibilities in response to problems related to active ageing. Viewing that the nurses of community health are key elements on the group intervention in all the stages of the life cycle, either due to their multi-sectoral framework or by all the knowledge they acquired, this way, the key factors were converged to become it a successful project, so, actually contributing for gains in health, based on the healthy aging.Objetivo: implantar o projeto de intervenção: Envelhecimento Ativo - Amadurecer em Saúde, assente numa parceria da Unidade de Cuidados na Comunidade (UCC) / Universidade Sénior. Método: metodologia de projeto, baseada na ®Work Breakdown Structure. Recorreu-se à pesquisa documental. A coleta de dados foi realizada com o público alvo e os stakeholders. O público alvo foi composto pelos 23 estudantes inscritos no projeto. A esse público aplicaram-se dois questionários (o Método de Avaliação Biopsicossocial, da Rede Nacional de Cuidados Continuados Integrados (RNCCI), e outro para identificação de necessidades de educação para a saúde); aos stakeholders aplicou-se um questionário (de identificação de necessidades de educação para a saúde) e realizou-se uma entrevista. Os dados foram objeto de tratamento estatístico e de análise de conteúdo. Resultados: a análise dos resultados permitiu estruturar um Programa de Intervenção baseado nas orientações nacionais para a saúde das pessoas idosas, adequado às necessidades do público alvo, aos recursos disponíveis e à finalidade e objetivo geral. Conclusão: atingiram-se objetivos: a parceria proposta foi implantada e o programa de intervenção está em curso. O projeto promoveu a reflexão e o trabalho da equipe multidisciplinar e intersetorial na comunidade; sensibilizou para a responsabilidade individual e coletiva na resposta à problemática do envelhecimento ativo. Sendo os enfermeiros de saúde comunitária, elementos chave na intervenção em grupo em todas as fases do ciclo vital, pelo seu enquadramento e saberes, reuniram-se os ingredientes chave para que o projeto fosse bem sucedido, contribuindo de fato para ganhos em saúde, assentes no envelhecimento saudável.Objetivo: implementar el proyecto de intervención: Envejecimiento Activo - Madurar con Salud, basado en una asociación entre la Unidad de Cuidados en la Comunidad (UCC) y la Universidad Sénior. Método: metodología de proyecto basada en ® Work Breakdown Structure. Se recurrió a la pesquisa documental. Se recogieron datos de la población en estudio y de los stakeholders. La población en estudio fue constituida por los 23 estudiantes inscritos en el proyecto. A esta población se le aplicó dos cuestionarios (el Método de Evaluación Biopsicosocial, de la Red Nacional de Cuidados Continuados Integrados e otro para la Identificación de necesidades de educación para la salud); a los stakeholders se les aplicó un cuestionario (el de Identificación de necesidades de educación para la salud) y se les realizó una entrevista. Los datos fueron objeto de tratamiento estadístico y de análisis del contenido. Resultados: el análisis de los resultados permitió estructurar un Programa de Intervención basado en las orientaciones nacionales para la salud de las personas mayores, adecuado a las necesidades de la población en estudio, a los recursos disponibles y a la finalidad y objetivo general. Conclusión: se cumplieron los objetivos: Se implemento la asociación propuesta y el Programa de Intervención está en marcha. El proyecto promovió la reflexión y el trabajo en equipo multidisciplinar e intersectorial en la comunidad; se sensibilizó para la responsabilidad individual y colectiva en la respuesta a la problemática del envejecimiento activo. Siendo los enfermeros de salud comunitaria, elementos claves en la intervención en grupo, en todas las etapas del ciclo de vida por su encuadramiento y saberes, se reunieron los ingredientes necesarios para que el proyecto tenga éxito, contribuyendo de hecho para beneficios para la salud, relacionados con el envejecimiento saludable.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Effects of word length and word frequency among dyslexic, ADHD-I and typical readers

This study aimed to investigate the neuropsycholinguistic functioning of children with Developmental Dyslexia (DD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder – inattentive subtype (ADHD-I) in a reading task. The psycholinguistic profile of both groups was assessed using a battery of neuropsychological and linguistic tests and compared to typical readers. Participants were submitted to a silent reading task with lexical manipulation of the text. Eye movements were recorded and compared aiming to find cognitive processes involved in reading that could help differentiate groups. The study examined whether word-frequency and word-length effects distinguish between groups. Participants included 19 typical readers, 21 children diagnosed with ADHD-I and 19 children with DD. All participants were attending 4th grade and had a mean age of 9.08 years. Children with DD and ADHD-I exhibited significant different cognitive and linguistic profiles on almost all measures evaluated when compared to typical readers. The effects of word length and word frequency interaction also differed significantly in the 3 experimental groups. The results support the multiple cognitive deficits theory. While the shared deficits support the evidence of a phonological disorder present in both conditions, the specific ones corroborate the hypothesis of an oculomotor dysfunction in DD and a visuo-spatial attention dysfunction in ADHD

Integrating cognitive factors and eye movement data in reading predictive models for children with dyslexia and ADHD-I

This study reports on several specific neurocognitive processes and eye-tracking predictors of reading outcomes for a sample of children with Developmental Dyslexia (DD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder – inattentive subtype (ADHD-I) compared to typical readers. Participants included 19 typical readers, 21 children diagnosed with ADHD-I and 19 children with DD. All participants were attending 4th grade and had a mean age of 9.08 years. The psycholinguistic profile of each group was assessed using a battery of neuropsychological and linguistic tests. Participants were submitted to a silent reading task with lexical manipulation of the text. Multinomial logistic regression was conducted to evaluate the predictive capability of developing dyslexia or ADHD-I based on the following measures: (a) a linguistic model that included measures of phonological awareness, rapid naming, and reading fluency and accuracy; (b) a cognitive neuropsychological model that included measures of memory, attention, visual processes, and cognitive or intellectual functioning, and (c) an additive model of lexical word properties with manipulation of word-frequency and word-length effects trough eye-tracking. The additive model in conjunction with the neuropsychological model classification improved the prediction of who develops dyslexia or ADHD-I having as baseline normal readers. Several of the neuropsychological and eye-tracking variables have power to predict the degree of reading outcomes in children with learning disabilities

Allgarve events: Implications for the Algarve image

Located in the south of Portugal, the Algarve belongs to the top twenty travel destinations worldwide, with a local economy relying strongly on tourism-related activities. The Allgarve programme was launched in 2007 and is an umbrella brand that aims to reposition the Algarve as a refi ned tourism destination with glamour. Allgarve is a set of cultural, artistic and sports events off ered mainly during the summer season. Based on data from a questionnaire carried out with 282 foreign tourists who visited the Algarve, this study identifi es and profi les clusters of tourists based on their perceptions of Allgarve. In addition, we analyse to what extent the image of the Algarve has changed as a consequence of the Allgarve events. The results show that most respondents agree with the Allgarve brand name, report a positive perception of the campaign, and agree that it has a positive impact for the Algarve differentiation. However, the results suggest that the majority of tourists still come to the region attracted by the Algarve brand, and that this brand has not been aff ected by the Allgarve programme's content. Th e fi ndings of this study are important in understanding the implications of events in repositioning strategies of mature tourism destinations

Cultural and creative tourism: the case of ‘Celebrations’ in the Algarve Region

This study sought to investigate the importance of cultural and creative tourism associated with 'celebrations' (i.e., festivais, festas, feiras and even to s [festivals, feasts, fairs and events]) in the Algarve region of Portugal. The resulting paper first discusses the significance of cultural and creative tourism and its interconnections with sustainable development in a region traditionally linked with 'sun and sea' tourism products. The methodological framework was a case study that focused on links between cultural and creative tourism and the dynamics of celebrations in 16 Algarve municipalities (concelhos municipais). The study was based on content analysis of data gathered with a questionnaire distributed to camara municipal (city council) culture and/or tourism responsibles from the 16 Algarve municipalities, namely, those (technicians) whose jobs are related to enhancing the attractiveness of the cultural resources associated with celebrations. The results reveal an increasing recognition of the importance of cultural patterns to municipals' tourism offers based on popular and everyday culture, which contribute to the Algarve's authentic identity and heterogeneous features.national funds through the FCT- Foundation for Science and Technology [UID/SOC/04020/2019

Turismo cultural em análise. Contributos metodológicos para a inventariação de recursos turísticos de base cultural

O presente artigo visa refletir sobre o turismo cultural, levando à problematização de conceitos como turismo e cultura, tendo em conta que os destinos turísticos, tradicionalmente assentes no produto “sol e mar”. Neste contexto, o artigo apresenta uma metodologia desenhada com o propósito de delimitar uma proposta para o desenvolvimento de produtos turísticos de base cultural para uma região turística cujo principal produto é o sol e mar, a qual assenta numa matriz concetual estabelecida a partir de um exaustivo enquadramento teórico-conceptual

Measuring Tourists Happiness: the case of the Algarve

Happiness and Quality of Life (QoL) have been receiving attention since many of the social ills have been reduced in the Western World. Happiness is considered one of the contributors to good QoL: if a community has happy citizens, their QoL is viewed as generally good (Veenhoven, 1997). In the same way, tourists’ happiness and QoL have become an important and interesting issue of research. However, measuring tourists’ happiness is a changeling problem. In this paper we present research on measuring tourists’ happiness. First, we have developed a model to explain the effect of different life domains on tourists’ happiness. Results indicated that both satisfaction with their family life and satisfaction with their jobs and activities play a significant role in determining overall happiness. After that, we have developed a model to identify which QoL factors influence tourists’ happiness. Results indicated that both present tourists’ QoL and QoL of their friends have a significant effect on tourists’ general happiness. A survey sample of tourists in the Algarve was used to test binary logistic regression models to detect factors affecting the probability of being at a specific level of happiness

The tourist experience: Exploring the relationship between tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty

Previous studies show that the quality of the tourist experience is aff ected by a large set of factors, many of which not directly related to the acquisition of specifi c products or services. Research also shows that tourist satisfaction is a determinant of destination loyalty. Th is study explores this topic by empirically analysing how the relationship between the satisfaction with the tourist experience and destination loyalty is aff ected by personal factors, such as socio-demographic characteristics and travelling motivations. Th is study is based on a small region representing an important destination in Algarve, Portugal, and uses data from a survey conducted on tourists of diff erent nationalities during peak season. We identify the reasons leading to dissatisfaction with the tourism experience and, based on structural equation modelling, ascertain the relationship between satisfaction levels with the tourism experience and tourist destination loyalty. Th en, a multiple group analysis provides a detailed overview of this relationship by establishing in which groups of tourists the relatedness between satisfaction and destination loyalty is stronger or weaker. In this sense, this study provides an important backdrop for destination managers looking to off er more eff ective and targeted marketing strategies