The purpose of this paper is to examine the importance of exceeding the expectations of guests to generate greater satisfaction, in order to offer an unforgettable experience and generate more comments on the Web 2.0 in the context of tourism. Structural equation models were used. The data for the analysis were obtained from a sample of residents of the Maldonado-Punta del Este conurbation (Uruguay), who were asked about their last overnight stay. The proposed structural equation model was tested using the partial least square (PLS) technique. The results show that exceeding the expectations of guests is essential for the clients’ experience and very important for the satisfaction with the stay at the hotel. The generation of online comments (electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM)) is also strongly influenced by emotional experiences. Exceeding the expectations of trained clients and surprising them with new services and experiences is the essence of luxury offers. The main practical implication is that exceeding expectations is the key to eWOM, and this means that managers must be involved in a perpetual process of service innovation.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine whether the various types of negative impacts have an effect on the general attitude toward tourism and the difficulty for the enjoyment of public spaces. Design/methodology/approach It is a quantitative study that analyzes the causal relationships between variables through structural equation models. This study uses data from a sample of 420 residents from Maldonado and Punta del Este. Findings The result obtained shows that only the cultural loss is significant to explain the residents’ attitudes. On the other hand, the cultural loss, the environmental deterioration and the saturation are significant to explain the difficulties for the enjoyment of public spaces. Research limitations/implications The main limitations are the fact of performing the analysis in a specific destination with peculiarities that may affect the results and the representativeness of the sample used. Practical implications The enjoyment of public spaces is a good indicator of the perception of negative impacts, so managers of urban tourist destinations can use this element as an indicator of quick consultation on residents’ attitudes. Originality/value It is a study that focuses on the negative impacts of tourism and its effect on the public spaces. The importance of public spaces in tourist destinations is under studied.

The objective of this article is to determine the importance of environmental concern on residents’ perceptions and attitudes in the case of the Maldonado-Punta del Este conurbation. To relativize the importance of this concern, economic concern was introduced into the model. Punta del Este is located next to the city of Maldonado, capital of the homonymous department, and is the most important sun and beach destination in Uruguay. For this analysis, a sample of 420 residents from the Maldonado-Punta del Este conurbation was used. The questionnaire contained several items using a5-point Likert scale and a section including socio-demographic questions. Analysis of the data was carried out through Partial Least Squares (PLS) SEM regression. The results suggest that residents form their attitudes towards tourism based on tourism’s economic benefits and socio-cultural costs. Residents of Punta del Este show concern for the environment but not for the economy. This concern is mainly related to the perception of environmental costs, but the causal relationship could be the opposite.

In coastal tourist destinations, there is nightlife, in addition to daytime leisure. For tourism development, it is of great relevance to take into account the resident population and their attitudes. In this paper, a comparison is made between Ibiza (Spain) and Punta del Este (Uruguay) in relation to the residents’ attitudes towards nightlife. Specifically, the comparison is made by a descending cluster analysis, generating four groups of residents according to their attitudes (Enthusiasts, Moderates, Critics, and Negatives), and the distribution of these groups in the two regions is then compared. The most notable result is that the degree of acceptance of nightlife is low in both cases, possibly due to the problems attributed to it, but the score is slightly higher in the case of Punta del Este. In addition, the profile of those opposed to nightlife is different: In Ibiza, Critics predominate, with a generally contrary response, but recognizing positive elements, whilst in Punta del Este, Negatives predominate, with systematically negative responses to all items.

To compare both concepts, the causative variables of recommendations generation will be analysed in one of the most important economic activities, the tourism sector. Tourism literature recognizes the importance of emotions, satisfaction and post-purchase behaviour, and diverse studies show emotions as antecedent of satisfaction and behavioural intentions. Some studies have found a positive relationship between satisfaction and the intention to recommend, but other authors raise doubts about the existence of this relationship.