Portuguese Tourist Research Articles

A Linha de Cascais: Inovação Turística e Ferroviária Portuguesa

A Linha de Cascais: Inovação Turística e Ferroviária Portuguesa

Cartografias Imaginativas do Brasil nas Brochuras Turísticas Portuguesas e Espanholas. 2012-2013 e 2014-2015

Cartografias Imaginativas do Brasil nas Brochuras Turísticas Portuguesas e Espanholas. 2012-2013 e 2014-2015

Gastronomic tourism, a differential factor

Introduction: Gastronomic Tourism has grown considerably worldwide and even at European level. According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO, 2012), the destinations and tourism companies are aware of the importance of gastronomy to diversify tourism and stimulate local, regional and national economic development. Gastronomy has always been part of the history of Portugal as a product that gave it authenticity and glamor. Objective: This article intends to make known the strategic product Gastronomy, as a tourist product of excellence with high development potential for Portuguese Tourism. Methods: We have analyzed several published studies correlating the main ideas and doctrines, focusing the importance of Gastronomic Tourism and gastronomic events for the development of regions and gastronomic routes as a differentiating factor. As well as the profile of gastronomic tourist, the phases of the experience of gastronomic tourism and gastronomic tourists behavior were analyzed. Results: there are some significant flaws in the literature review, since there are not many studies regarding the contribution of gastronomy to the development of the regions. Conclusions: Gastronomy is one of the tourist products that has the most influence when choosing the destination. Portugal should, like Spain and France, structure the gastronomy product as a product that gives Portugal authenticity and quality. The gastronomy and the wines are considered qualifying assets of the portuguese tourist offer (Estrategia Turismo 2027, 2017).

The tourist experience in Portugal – how to maintain authenticity?

Purpose This paper aims to identify the importance of authenticity of the tourist experience, based on the main conclusions of the International Tourism Forum Round Table, attended by representatives of the main entities of the tourism sector in Portugal. Design/methodology/approach The main conclusions resulting from the International Tourism Forum Round Table are presented and discussed. The event was organised by the Institute for Tourism Planning and Development, under the theme “Tourism in 2017: trends and opportunities for businesses and destinations”. Findings The International Tourism Forum Round Table concluded that the tourism industry worldwide and in Portugal in particular, is facing major challenges that call for innovative ways of managing the tourist experience. Several questions regarding the negative impacts of tourism have been discussed, with authenticity being one of the major concerns. Originality/value The profiling of the current state of Portuguese tourism, its opportunities and challenges allows the design of more effective strategies to improve the Portuguese tourist offer and the experience of tourists visiting Portugal.

World trends and the state of Portuguese tourism – round table on opportunities for businesses development

Purpose This paper aims to identify the current state of the Portuguese tourism, its opportunities and challenges based on the conclusions of the International Tourism Forum (ITF)/Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes (WHATT) Round Table attended by representatives of the main public and private entities of the tourism sector in Portugal. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents and discusses the main conclusions resulting from the ITF/WHATT Round Table. The event was organized by the Institute for Tourism Planning and Development, under the theme “Tourism in 2016: from trends to results”. Findings The ITF/WHATT Round Table concluded that the tourism industry worldwide and in Portugal, in particular, is facing major challenges that call for innovative ways of managing the tourism experience. On the other hand, world tourism growth was seen as a reality that will remain, and destinations will have to continue working to achieve better tourists instead of getting more tourists. Practical implications This analysis provides knowledge about the current state of the Portuguese tourism, its challenges and opportunities while identifying innovative ways and likely solutions to improve the experience of tourists visiting Portugal. Originality/value The profiling of the current state of the Portuguese tourism, its opportunities and challenges contributes to the design of more effective strategies to improve the Portuguese tourist offer and the experience of tourists visiting Portugal.

Decision‐making processes of Portuguese tourist travelling to South America and Africa

PurposeThis paper aims to study the decision‐making processes of Portuguese tourists traveling to South America and Africa destinations by developing a conceptual framework that focuses on information sources, motivations, perceptions, satisfactions, and behavioral intentions.Design/methodology/approachThe study applies a structural model that looks to explain the factors behind decision making and the relationships present. The relationships are observed in detail through the application of a categorical principal component analysis.FindingsThe results of the empirical study show that behavioral intentions precede emotional and cognitive satisfaction, which in turn, are explained through perceptions and motivations. Tourists perceive tourism destinations as places of leisure although little information is available on existing facilities and core attractions.Research limitations/implicationsThe study has the restriction of being limited to the Portuguese tourists. However, these findings open paths for further investigation, namely extending to other destinations and to tourists with different motivations.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the overall understanding of the decision‐making processes of tourists. Specifically, the decision processes is assess by considering two stages: the pre‐purchase stage and the post‐purchase stage. These two phases were analyzed in order to understand how people decide to travel to a certain destination.

Heterogeneity in Destination Choice

This study analyzes the Portuguese tourist choice process in relation to an emerging destination—Africa. The empirical study was conducted among Portuguese tourists by means of a mixed logit model. The model underlines the importance of a multistage process of decision since the probability of a Portuguese tourist taking a vacation in an African country depends on a mix of motivations concerning destination attributes, travel arrangements, information gathered, previous experience, and individual socioeconomic characteristics. Policy implications are derived for improving the understanding and management of the destination choices of heterogeneous tourists.

Why people travel to exotic places

PurposeThis study focuses on the Portuguese tourist decision process in terms of traveling to exotic places. Based on the push‐pull motive model defined by Crompton in 1979, this paper seeks to propose an integrated approach to understand tourist motivations and how these contribute to the perception of a destination.Design/methodology/approachA structural model and a categorical principal component analysis are used to assess to what degree motivational factors may influence perceptions about a destination. The empirical study is supported through data from a sample of 1,097 individuals who travelled by plane to exotic places, during 2004.FindingsThe findings show that push and pull motivations influence the way tourists perceive the destination but the resulting image does not determined the intrinsic motivations.Research limitations/implicationsThe study has the restriction of being limited to the Portuguese case. However, these findings open paths for further investigation, namely extending to other destinations and to tourists with different incentives and nationality.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the overall understanding of why tourists adopt specific behaviors. In specific, motivations and perceptions were combined in order to understand why people could be pushed to travel to exotic destinations and how they form their perceptions.

Golf Tourism Repeat Choice Behaviour in the Algarve: A Mixed Logit Approach

This paper focuses on the behavioural intention of repeater golf tourists in the Algarve. The analysis employs a questionnaire undertaken in 2004 to ascertain the significant characteristics of the returning golf-playing tourist. A random parameter logit model is used to analyse which characteristics (for example, individual characteristics, motivations, tripographic variables, and the most quoted attributes of golf destinations) are associated with the probability of golf tourists playing in the Algarve to return to this Portuguese tourist region, taking into account uncontrolled heterogeneity of the data. This model outperforms the standard logit model. Some policy implications are presented.

Modeling motivations and perceptions of Portuguese tourists

The present paper focuses on the study of the Portuguese tourist demand motivations in exotic places. This study offers an integrated approach to understanding tourist motivation and attempts to extend the empirical evidence on the relationships between the push and pull motivations in order to determine to what extent these motivating factors will contribute to the overall perception of the destination. For this purpose, we use a detailed survey, conducted in 2004, on a sample of 1097 individuals. The performed analyses find six motivators' factors influencing the formation of the perceptions and the choice of a tourist destination.

CONSIDERATIONS CONCERNING THE ORIGIN OF THE ESTORIL (PORTUGAL) THERMAL WATER

In the urban area of Estoril, a Portuguese tourist village 20 km westward from Lisbon, hot mineral waters (thermal waters) spout out from natural springs which have been known since the 19th century. The thermal waters are of the sodium chloride type, with total dissolved solids and temperatures higher than the ones of the regional waters. Isotopic data are consistent with a meteoric origin for both the regional and thermal waters of the Estoril area: δ180 (‰), -4.16 to -3.52 and δ2H (‰), -25.5 to -18.7. The thermal water composition can be derived from the regional water composition assuming the dissolution of evaporite minerals, cation exchange and precipitation of calcite. The thermal water flow system has probably the recharge area somewhere in between Estoril and the Sintra mountain. The elevation difference between the recharge area and the sea provides the driving force for groundwater movement to the Estoril area where the upward movement of the mineralised and warm water is controlled by an impermeable barrier of dykes and open fractures in the pre-existing rocks.