THE INTEGRAL RURAL TOURISM EXPERIENCE FROM THE TOURIST’S POINT OF VIEW – A QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF ITS NATURE AND MEANING
Rural areas have attracted increasing interest as a space for leisure and tourism, as a result of recent trends in tourism demand, especially from urban populations. However, although the literature on the tourist experience has increased significantly in the past decades, the tourist experienc...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University of Algarve, ESGHT/CINTURS
2011-01-01
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| Series: | Tourism & Management Studies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://tmstudies.net/index.php/ectms/article/view/335/553 |
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| Summary: | Rural areas have attracted increasing interest as a space
for leisure and tourism, as a result of recent trends in
tourism demand, especially from urban populations.
However, although the literature on the tourist
experience has increased significantly in the past
decades, the tourist experience of visiting rural areas
remains a relatively understudied field of research.
In this context, this paper aims to analyse the nature of
the tourist experience in a rural context, focusing on
the tourists’ point of view. Concretely, in-depth
interviews were conducted with 44 individuals who
had visited rural areas, aiming at a deeper
understanding of the three phases of the tourist
experience: (i) pre (planning, expectations and
motivations); (ii) during (events occurred during the
visit); and (iii) after the experience (satisfaction,
memories and evaluation of the visit).
The results show that the countryside is imagined as a
space opposed to the negative aspects of the urban
space, ideal for resting, recovering forces and living as
a family, often associated with the possibility of getting
to know the “ancient” and “traditions”. However,
results also show that rural tourism destinations should
seek alternatives to create a dynamic that attracts/
satisfies tourists without damaging their natural,
cultural and social resources. |
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| ISSN: | 2182-8466 |