Abstract
Madinat Al-Zahra is an ancient Arab palace located in Cordoba, Spain, which was proclaimed as part of the World Heritage of Humanity in 2018. The public administration must know the tourist motivations and interest in this heritage, as well as the satisfaction with Cordoba as destination and this Archaeological Ensemble. This article addresses these issues by analyzing and comparing motivations, expected and perceived value with the destination and those of the monument itself, using a Structural Equation Models methodology. Data was obtained from a survey of 375 tourists and the results showed that there is a high satisfaction with both destination and site, although these people perceive that this heritage is not integrated with the rest of the city attractions. In addition, the survey highlights that the transport system to the site is one of the most important weaknesses, among others. The results of this study offer valuable information related to this heritage.
Highlights
Archaeological tourism is a specific type of cultural tourism, which enjoys great acceptance and relevance in the area and helps to raise awareness of this type of heritage importance; besides, it makes possible regional revitalization all around the world
We present the theoretical framework which includes a review of the literature in the field of World Heritage monuments from the tourist point of view, as well as the motivations and the satisfaction of the tourist with the destination and a brief history of the Caliphate’s city
The measurement of the indices of motivation. interest and perceived value will allow us to confirm the direct relationship between these constructs and the satisfaction of the tourist in the visit to the city of Cordoba
Summary
Archaeological tourism is a specific type of cultural tourism, which enjoys great acceptance and relevance in the area and helps to raise awareness of this type of heritage importance; besides, it makes possible regional revitalization all around the world. As shown in [1], archeology is a fundamental basis to elaborate strategies focused on tourist development of cities and territories with an historical and cultural past. An archaeological site cannot become a tourist resource if it has not been the object of an intervention that guarantees its conservation and allows visitor understanding. Regarding the impact that this type of heritage has on its surroundings, in one study [3] the visited heritage facilities, the conservation, cleanliness, and security of the surrounding city are identified, as well as the most influential factors for the potential tourist interested in the archaeological heritage of an area
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