This article investigates the role of food in the tourism experience, particularly in destinations that are not famous for their food offer and where the local gastronomy is not a primary motivation for tourist visits. Factorial analysis and cluster analysis were applied to data collected on the food preferences and dining behavior of 392 tourists staying in hotels in Madeira. Although most tourists to Madeira could not be described as "food tourists," motivations to visit the islands nevertheless overlap with motivations to eat traditional local food once they have arrived. Eating local foods may be either a "peak" experience or a "secondary" experience for tourists, but these roles are not fixed and may be reassigned. The results highlight the need for destination marketing organizations to pay more attention to the link between destination image and food consumption. Well-directed marketing efforts can turn low-value "secondary" experiences of sampling the local cuisine into more high-value "peak" experiences. The study identifies and describes three clusters of tourists based on their level of engagement with local food. Such information can assist destination stakeholders make the most of the Madeira's unique food offer. This could involve providing the right context for "secondary" food experiences to be transformed into "peak" food experiences. An improved understanding is provided of the actual and potential role of food in directly providing or indirectly supporting the tourism experience, especially in destinations where the local gastronomy is not a primary motivation to visit.
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to get insights on a real-life portfolio of events from a demand-centred prospective, based on the identification of factors influencing the degree of attendee’s satisfaction, with the ultimate aim of identifying commonalities and prospective cross-leverage strategies among events. Design/methodology/approach Data from attendees to three major events taking place in Funchal, the capital city of Madeira, were analysed based on multivariate statistics and categorical regression owing to the overwhelming presence of categorical data in the database. The econometric analysis pursued in this paper is based on a sample of 1,830 tourists. Findings The research demonstrates that the impact of the socio-economic variables and travel arrangements on attendees’ satisfaction is rather irrelevant, irrespective of the event under analysis, with cross-cutting factors defining the overall quality of any event (mainly technical aspects such as aesthetical elements, organization and opening hours) determinant in predicting the overall degree of satisfaction. Another key finding relates to the existence of a number of commonalities among events, in terms of tourists’ profiles, market orientation, themes and resources laying ground to define ready-to-apply cross-leverage strategies. Research limitations/implications The analysis concentrated on three major events taking place in the capital city of a peripheral region. The content of the questionnaire co-developed with the destination management organization with order to get access to a large sample of respondents. Practical implications Lessons to be learnt in terms of managing a disparate collection of events developed over time in an ad hoc manner. A few examples of cross-leverage strategies are put forward. Originality/value The analysis and empirical content portrayed in this study contribute to the literature on event portfolio via description of real-life case examples of how to develop competencies based on post-event analysis in a proactive manner.
Purpose This study aims to analyze the contribution of tourist event and satisfaction with tourism events as a product of regional tourism competitiveness, as well as evaluate factors of competitiveness. Design/methodology/approach The research followed a quantitative methodology by conducting a questionnaire on the four largest tourist events in Madeira (Carnival, Flower Festival, Atlantic Festival and Wine Festival), an insular island located in Portugal. Findings The sample consisted of 2,262 tourists surveyed during the year 2017 and structural equation models were used as the statistical method. Results showed that satisfaction is reflected in the client's loyalty to the choice of a tourist destination and also contributes directly and indirectly to the regional tourist competitiveness. Originality/value This study contributes to the valorization of local and regional events, perceived by the level of satisfaction and loyalty of tourists, as products of regional competitiveness of a tourist destination.
This paper identifies Madeira Island's growth stage in accordance with Butler's life cycle model. Life cycle analysis is pursued using an econometric approach over an extended period, from 1976 to 2006. The results suggest that Madeira is about to enter the stagnation phase. The industry's development since the 1970s was found to conform to Butler's model, but in its own way. In the case of Madeira, the island's positive image and the time span within each of the life cycle stages challenge the traditional life cycle model, suggesting rather that the maturity stage may persist indefinitely.
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