Residents’ perception of the benefits of cultural tourism: the case of Guimarães

In many cities throughout Europe and the rest of the world, cultural tourism plays a major role in local economic development. Tourism also acts to preserve cultural heritage, as it provides a way to acquire the revenue needed to restore and preserve historical buildings, and encourages local people to value their traditions and festivals. However, tourism success can be a double-edged sword with tourist flows having a strong impact on the quality of life of residents when certain tourist thresholds are surpassed. This paper aims to address local residents’ perception of the benefits of cultural tourism. To capture their perception, a survey was implemented, addressed to both the city centre inhabitants and the non-urban residents of the Guimarães municipality.

Motivations to visit and image destination of Guimarães: differences between Portuguese and foreign tourists during 2012 Guimarães European Capital of Culture (ECOC)

Guimarães hosted the European Capital of Culture (ECOC) during the year of 2012. This study investigates the differences between Portuguese and foreign tourists regarding the main motivations to visit Guimarães and the retained perceived image of the destination. To achieve that purpose a survey was administered to 390 tourists that visited the city during the cultural event. The results show that tourists who visited Guimarães are relatively young, wealthy, employed and well educated. They are touring around the northern part of the country which includes an itinerary beginning in Porto, and extended to other important neighboring cities such as Braga or Viana do Castelo. The main motivations to visit the city, for both Portuguese and foreign tourists, are its historical heritage and the title of ECOC, the associated cultural events and celebrations that take place during 2012. However, these items were more valued by foreigners than Portuguese tourists. Using a factor analysis the tourists’ perceived attributes of Guimarães were described in four dimensions: “material heritage”, “intangible heritage”, “cultural performance”, and “sport and education”. Although foreigners and nationals perceived the tourism attributes of the city differently, the comparison of the mean scores of the four factors across Portuguese and foreigner tourists reveals that the most valued and least valued factors are common to both groups.

Cultural tourism in Northwest Portugal – the case of the world heritage site of Guimarães

A cidade de Guimarães, no noroeste português, é um espaço imbuído de um forte significado simbólico e cultural. A acreditação pela U.N.E.S.C.O. do seu centro histórico como Património Cultural da Humanidade, em Dezembro de 2001, contribuiu significativamente para aumentar o seu potencial em termos turísticos. Na realidade, desde aquela data, tem-se assistido a um aumento sustentado do número de visitantes. O presente capítulo debruça-se sobre a análise de alguns resultados de um inquérito por questionário aplicado aos residentes do município de Guimarães com o objetivo de avaliar a sua perceção dos benefícios que a atividade turística pode trazer. O inquérito foi implementado entre Janeiro e Março de 2010. Os resultados mostram que aqueles revelam uma perceção favorável dos impactos do turismo e que esta perceção está correlacionada com a idade e o nível de instrução dos inquiridos.

Historical and conceptual landscape of the character

This paper was developed with the intention of broadly demonstrating the complexity of the area known recently as character development, as a creative process methods and implementation. It searches the understanding of the character itself, its place in the narrative and its reception by the reader or target audience. It is a multidisciplinary tool that faces a multitude of challenges from an increasingly demanding public and with specific goals in mind, and yet it also gives us valuable insight over how we interact with one another and the world around us, teaching us how to transfer such knowledge into fiction promoting empathic bonds between the reader and the characters. The human tendency to create is limitless and as old as mankind itself, we create, recreate and reinterpret and then populate such tales with believable characters from who we learn, and experience events and tales that shape our very lives.

Planning Considerations for Tourism in the Minho-Lima Region (Northwest Portugal)

In administering their territories, most local municipalities aim to preserve their natural, historical and ethnographical resources while simultaneously using them to increase revenue and employment. In order to efficiently promote the products and services available and attract tourists, decision makers, private and public, need to know and incorporate tourists’ preferences in their marketing strategies. In this chapter we illustrate the use of stated preferences as an instrument to identify national and foreign tourists’ preferences regarding the products and services that the touristic destination of the Minho-Lima region (Northwest Portugal) should offer. As a starting point, we have taken the three general groups of touristic resources mentioned above as attributes. We take Ponte de Lima, a municipality in this region that has a strong cultural tourism potential as an example to identify possible future tourism scenarios for this territory. We believe the previously identified methodology can be a valuable instrument in the identification of the strengths and weaknesses of the selected territory and, thus, support the decision making process behind its future tourist development and marketing strategies.

Tourists’ perceptions of world heritage destinations: the case of Guimarães

Guimarães is a world heritage site (UNESCO) since December 2001, and is hosting the European Capital of Culture (ECOC) in 2012. This paper examines the profile, destination image and motivations of tourists’ visiting Guimarães before the cultural event. Based on survey responses from 276 tourists, this study found that tourists arrived to Guimarães came from the two most important cities in the northern part of Portugal (Porto and Braga). They are relatively young and well educated compared with the average tourists that visited Portugal. The results suggest that many tourists are aware of the city status as a world heritage site encompassing a historic centre, monuments, and architectural buildings. Further, these perceptions shape the image of Guimarães, as the factor analysis indicates that “historical background and functionality” is the most reliable and valid factor behind the choice of visiting the city. Finally, the main tourists’ motivation to choose Guimarães as theirs destination is educational, rather than recreational as they want to live a learning experience.

Does gender affect visiting a world heritage site?

The city of Guimarães in Portugal is a place of strong symbolic and cultural significance, and the nomination of its historical center as a World Heritage Site in 2001 enhanced its tourism potential. This study presents the results of a survey conducted in 2010 and 2011 to capture the profile and motivations of tourists visiting Guimarães as a cultural tourism destination. The study addressed two main issues: whether males and females have similar or different preferences in choosing the city as their destination, and whether there are gender differences in the perception of the attributes of Guimarães. A better understanding of the gendered nature of the destination is a valuable cue for shaping products and services according to visitors’ preferences. The results suggest that both men and women are aware of the main elements responsible for the city’s World Heritage status. That the destination is a Heritage Site that also offers the opportunity to tour the region has a significant positive effect on male tourists’ choice of Guimarães. Regarding the perceived attributes of the city, results indicate minor gender differences with one exception: Women expressed more apprehension than men regarding the perceived security of the destination.

Tourists’ perceptions of world heritage destinations: The case of Guimarães (Portugal)

Guimara˜es is a UNESCO world heritage site, deemed as such in 2001 and hosted the 2012 European Capital of Culture. This paper examines the profile, destination image, and motivations of tourists’ visiting behaviors in Guimara˜es before the cultural event. Based on survey responses from 276 tourists, we found that tourists arriving in Guimara˜es had previously visited the two most important cities in the northern part of Portugal. These respondents were relatively young and well educated compared to the average tourists that visited Portugal. The results suggest that many tourists were aware of the city status as a world heritage site that encompasses a historic center, monuments, and architectural buildings. Furthermore, these perceptions shape the image of Guimara˜es, as the factor analysis indicates that ‘‘historical background and functionality’’ was the most reliable and valid factor behind the choice of visiting the city.

How does gender affect visiting a world heritage site?: the case study of Guimarães

To date few studies have been undertaken in Portugal dealing with the attitudes, motivations, and profile of tourists who visit World Heritage Sites. Also, few studies have dealt with destination image (e.g., Agapito, Mendes & Valle, 2010; Lopes, 2011). As far as it is known, none have approached the issue of gender differences in the choice of a Portuguese heritage destination. Since cultural tourism destinations need to differentiate themselves from each other, appropriate market segmentation must be based on a deep understanding of the customers’ motivations and preferences. Keeping in mind results from empirical literature (e.g., Silberberg, 1995; Beerli & Martin, 2004; Richards, 2004; Pérez, 2009; Sheng, Shen, & Chen, 2008), gender seems to be a possible approach to market segmentation, whether for Guimarães or for other cultural tourism destinations around the world. Located in the north-western region of Portugal, Guimarães is a city of strong symbolic and cultural significance, and the nomination of its historical centre as a World Heritage Site in 2001 enhanced its tourism potential. This study analyses the possible relation between gender and attitudes and motivations towards a World Heritage Site, such as Guimarães. Additionally, the empirical approach used in the study tries to capture differences in the perceived attributes of the city. Commonalities and distinctions within and between groups of tourists, by focusing on the specific characteristic of gender, were analysed. The study addressed two main questions: first, whether males and females have similar or different preferences in choosing the city as their destination; and, second, whether there are gender differences in the perception of the attributes of Guimarães. A better understanding of the gendered nature of the destination is a valuable cue for shaping products and services according to visitors’ preferences.

Does Gender Affect Visiting a World Heritage Site?

The city of Guimar˜aes in Portugal is a place of strong symbolic and cultural significance, and the nomination of its historical center as a World Heritage Site in 2001 enhanced its tourism potential. This study presents the results of a survey conducted in 2010 and 2011 to capture the profile and motivations of tourists visiting Guimar˜aes as a cultural tourism destination. The study addressed two main issues: whether males and females have similar or different preferences in choosing the city as their destination, and whether there are gender differences in the perception of the attributes of Guimar˜aes. A better understanding of the gendered nature of the destination is a valuable cue for shaping products and services according to visitors’ preferences. The results suggest that both men and women are aware of the main elements responsible for the city’s World Heritage status. That the destination is a Heritage Site that also offers the opportunity to tour the region has a significant positive effect on male tourists’ choice of Guimar˜aes. Regarding the perceived attributes of the city, results indicate minor gender differences with one exception: Women expressed more apprehension than men regarding the perceived security of the destination.

The role of cultural mega events in the enhancement of city’s image attributes: differences between engaged and attendee participants

In a time of fierce competition between regions, an image serve as a basis to develop a strong sense of community, which fosters trust and cooperation that can be mobilized for regional growth. A positive image and reputation could be used in the promotional activities of the region benefiting all the stakeholders as a whole. Mega cultural events are frequently used to attract tourists and investments to a region, but also to enhance the city’s image. This study adopts a marketing/communication perspective of city’s image, and intends to explain how the image of the city is perceived by their residents. Specifically, we intend to compare the perceptions of residents that effectively participated in the Guimarães European Capital of Culture (ECOC) 2012 (engaged residents), and the residents that only assisted to the event (attendees). Several significant findings are reported and their implications for event managers and public policy administrators presented, along with the limitations of the study.

O reconhecimento dos bens do património histórico, artístico e cultural: esudo de caso dos municípios da sub-região Minho-Lima

Este trabalho tem por objetivos analisar o disposto no POCAL (1999), na NICSP nº 17 do IPSASB (2006c), e na opinião de diversos autores, quanto ao reconhecimento dos bens do património, histórico, artístico e cultural (BPHAC); bem como, verificar se poderão existir problemas inerentes ao reconhecimento destes bens, na sub-região Minho-Lima, ultrapassáveis com a adoção das NICSP em Portugal. Do estudo efetuado, concluímos que o POCAL (1999) não apresenta os requisitos para o reconhecimento dos ativos. A NICSP nº 17 (IPSASB, 2006c) refere que, se a entidade reconhecer esses elementos como ativos, deve observar os requisitos para o reconhecimento dos ativos fixos tangíveis mencionados nessa norma. Atendendo também a que alguns dos municípios portugueses sentem dificuldades no reconhecimento dos bens do património, histórico, artístico e cultural, concluímos que adotar um novo Sistema de Normalização Contabilística aplicável à Administração Pública (SNCAP), assente nas NICSP, poderá ser a solução para ultrapassar tais dificuldades e garantir alguma comparabilidade da informação.

Cultural mega-events and the enhancement of a city's image: differences between engaged participants and attendees

A city’s image can serve as the basis upon which to develop a strong sense of community. This, in turn, fosters trust and cooperation which may attract tourists and investment, and drive regional economic growth. One strategy to enhance a city’s image is to host cultural mega-events. This study focuses on Guimarães, one of the European Capitals of Culture of 2012, and adopts a marketing communication perspective to explore issues of city image. The objective of the study reported was to understand whether images of Guimarães improved after it hosted the cultural mega-event. To attain this goal, we compare the perceptions of residents who participated in the event (engaged participants) and attendees. Several significant findings are reported and their implications for event managers and public policy administrators are presented, along with the limitations of the study.