Nueve provincias y Nueve Secretos en Castilla y León

La Fundación del Patrimonio Histórico de Castilla y León (FPH) convoca anualmente desde 2001 el concurso los “Nueve Secretos”,dirigido a estudiantes de 4.º de Educación Secundaria, Bachillerato y Ciclos Formativos de centros escolares de Castilla y León. Sus objetivos son estimular a profesores y alumnos para que presenten trabajos de calidad sobre patrimonio mueble, inmueble o arqueológico que necesite ser recuperado, y fomentar la sensibilización ciudadana para con el patrimonio potenciando la idea de la necesidad de la conservación del desde la adolescencia. Participan un máximo de 8 alumnos y 2 profesores por equipo, y se conceden hasta nueve premios consistentes en viajes culturales internacionales (primeros premios)y nacionales (segundos premios). En estos doce años se han presentado 230 equipos, con un total de 2.200 participantes, originando algunos de estos trabajos la restauración de elementos patrimoniales por parte de la Fundación

Residents' perceptions towards cross-border tourism

Residents are an important stakeholder in tourism destinations. In this sense, this study aimed to identify in the cross-border zone towards tourism. A questionnaire was applied between April and May 2023 to residents older than 18 years that were randomly approached in shops, parks, restaurants, streets, and residences. A total of 470 valid questionnaires were considered for descriptive analysis of the impacts' means and standard deviation. Residents tend to perceive positively tourism in cross-border areas. The impacts that presented the highest mean were the economics, followed by the sociocultural and in the last, the environmental impacts. One of the stuady's limitations is the sample number difference between the residents of Portugal and Spain, which makes some comparative aspects between the two populations difficult. This is the first study about residents perceptions in the cross-border area of Portugal (Terras de Trás-os-Montes) and Spain (Castilla y León), characterizing the study's originality.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Visitors' satisfaction in natural areas: the case of Vinhais biological park

Satisfaction is a widely studied issue in tourism as it provides an understanding of the performance of a tourism destination's offer, highlighting the most important features considered by tourists. The growth in tourism demand in natural areas also makes it an important factor in identifying visitor satisfaction, as sustainable planning of these areas may also rely on knowing the opinion of their visitors. In this context, this study aimed to determine the visitors´ satisfaction with Vinhais Biological Park, located in the northeast of Portugal, during the summer of 2022. A questionnaire consisting of 8 closed-ended questions to identify the socio-demographic profile and overall satisfaction was applied during July and August 2022. Therefore, 251 valid questionnaires were considered for the quantitative data analysis and a final sampling error of 6.13% was assumed. A descriptive statistical analysis was performed to identify the socio-demographic profile and the satisfaction with the resources offered. Four hypotheses were formulated to test the association between socio-demographic profile (age group, gender, nationality, and education level) and overall satisfaction. The χ2 test was used to test the hypotheses assuming a 5% significance level. The main findings showed that the socio-demographic profile of the sample is predominantly male (54.6%), aged between 11 and 40 years (77.6%), of Portuguese nationality (71.3%) and with higher education level (48.6%). Concerning the visit motivation, 61.4% went to the park after visiting the city of Vinhais or the region and nearly half (47%) of the respondents were satisfied. The results of χ2 test revealed no significant association between the socio-demographic profile and overall satisfaction, meaning that none of the hypotheses was supported. Considering the number of visitors received in the park annually, this study's sample can be regarded as a limitation, making the understanding of satisfaction limited to the period of analysis and at a period when the impact of COVID-19 is noticeable. Finally, for future studies, a comparative analysis with other natural parks, both Portuguese and Spanish, is suggested for better monitoring of visitor satisfaction.This project is being carried out within the scope of the DuraDOURO - El Duero como recurso perdurable del paisaje y el territorio de la frontera, 0785_DURADOURO_2_E, financed by FEDER, through the POCTEP. The authors are also grateful to the UNIAG, R&D unit funded by the FCT – Portuguese Foundation for the Development of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education. “Project Code Reference: UIDB/04752/2020 e UIDP/04752/2020”.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio