Analysis of the Perception and Behavior of Tourists in ICH Events: the Case of the Fiesta de los Patios de Córdoba (Spain)

Abstract

This research aims to analyze the perception, motivation and behavior of tourists attending the Fiesta de los Patios in the city of Córdoba (Spain), declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) by UNESCO in 2012. This research has categorized tourists based on two different models: the model developed by Poria et al. (2003) and the one developed by McKercher (2002). Four different tourist groups were obtained: alternative, cultural, emotional and heritage. The main result of this research is that the behavior of different types of tourists can be determined depending on the perception that the ICH tourist has. The main practical application of this research is to provide public administration and management companies with tourism tools that allow sustainable management of this ICH event.