New forms of tourism are gaining ground throughout the world. Nowadays, successful tourism destinations must offer variety and new tourism products, addressing special interest niches. One increasingly popular tourism product is health and wellness tourism. The wellness concept typically integrates physical activity combined with relaxation of the mind and intellectual stimulus, enhancing well-being through a balance of the body, mind and spirit. Promoting well-being is a relevant motive of most tourists and should be regarded in any tourism marketing strategy. Hiking is an appropriate activity to integrate in a wellness tourism context, being since long a strategically developed recreational and tourism activity in many European countries. In the present study we show the results of an exploratory survey of hikers in Portugal and discuss possible implications on planning and management of rural tourism destinations, with emphasis on the creation of integrated wellness products. Results were used for developing a more holistic tourism offer within the European Network of Village Tourism.
The purpose of this study is to ascertain the effect of awe on tourist behavioral intentions for astrotourism destinations. Awe is theorized as a multi‐dimensional concept with both cognitive and affective elements. A behavioral model depicting the relationships among awe, tourist satisfaction and behavioral intentions is proposed and examined among 304 tourists to the Dark Sky Party Alqueva in Portugal. Using partial‐least squares structural equation modeling (PLS‐SEM), the results indicate that awe directly affects tourist satisfaction and indirectly affects behavioral intentions when mediated by tourist satisfaction. Theoretical and managerial implications are presented.
Astrotourism is a niche tourism that has been emerging in the last years. This type of tourism evolves a diversity of activities developed at night, being necessary a deeper knowledge about the cognitive process and emotions tourists have during an experience of this nature which lead to a memorable experience and loyalty.Based on the insights from 304 questionnaires applied at an astrotourism event, it is explored how (i) astrotourism stimuli are associated to cognitive states designed by knowledge and involvement, (ii) cognitive states enhance emotional states of hedonism and refreshment, and (ii) emotional states generate response as recommendation and loyalty. This study contributes to extend the S-O-R framework by integrating the cognitive appraisal theory and incorporate stimuli and above all cognitive and emotional states not employed in prior research, usually devoted to dominance, pleasure and arousal. Recommendations for astrotourism destination managers are also discussed.
ResumoO comportamento do consumidor em turismo tem vindo a alterar-se intensamente levando ao desenvolvimento de um mercado mais especializado e sofisticado centrado nas actividades específicas que podem ser desenvolvidas a nível local. Neste contexto, os espaços rurais têm um apelo especial para os turistas por causa da mística ligada ao mundo rural e às características culturais, históricas, éticas e geográficas específicas destas áreas. As empresas turísticas em espaço rural são na sua maioria micro-empresas e PME's. O fenómeno da globalização criou uma grande pressão nas pequenas e médias empresas que apresentam dificuldade em formar unicidade num destino e em distribuir os seus produtos de uma forma abrangente. Assim, têm surgido nos últimos anos novas formas de interação entre os diferentes stakeholders, incluindo actores tanto do sector público como privado, assim como as populações locais, em que todos juntam esforços para o desenvolvimento e implementação de redes em destinos turísticos. Consequentemente, a construção de parcerias e a aplicação de acções e estratégias de marketing em conjunto podem reduzir o isolamento dos pequenos negócios permitindo o uso dos recursos de uma forma mais eficaz. No entanto, existe pouca literatura a evidenciar que a integração das PME's que operam no sector do turismo em redes possa ser usado como um factor de inovação que contribui para o desenvolvimento local. Neste artigo apresentamos um case study sobre os efeitos induzidos ao nível de inovação com a implementação de uma Rede Europeia de Turismo de Aldeia, em cinco regiões europeias.
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