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  • Destination image: perspectives of tourists vs. residents
    Publication . Agapito, Dora; Mendes, Júlio; Pinto, Patrícia
    This study aims to measure the image of Lagos in the Algarve region, the most important Portuguese destination, using a cognitive, affective and behavioral approach. Given the lack of studies which compare the perspectives of tourists and residents, the empirical investigation includes a mixed methodology enabling a holistic approach followed by a quantitative methodology with the use of questionnaires for both tourists and residents. The attributes that are more consensually associated with Lagos are the good weather and good beaches, although these variables do not have significant discriminatory power for "recommendation of the destination to friends and family" as the dependent variable.
  • Segmenting visitors based on willingness to pay for recreational benefits: The case of Leiria National Forest
    Publication . Oliveira, Fernanda; Pintassilgo, Pedro; Valle, Patrícia do; Mendes, Isabel; Silva, joão
    This article uses a criterion-based method to segment visitors in the context of a contingent valuation survey. The National Forest of Leiria, located in central Portugal, is used as case study. Respondents are assigned to segments through a chi-squared automatic interaction detector method according to their willingness to pay for recreational improvements. This method identifies the main socio-economic and behavioural variables that differentiate the segments. The results show that the segment with the largest willingness to pay is formed by visitors who contribute to environmental protection and rate their recreational experience in the forest as very good. Besides these environmentally friendly' visitors, two other segments show willingness to pay above average: graduates' and forest neighbours'. The study shows how the rich set of data provided by contingent valuation studies can be used to segment visitors, and therefore to support the planning and management of recreational facilities.
  • Destination image: perspectives of tourists vs. residents
    Publication . Agapito, Dora; Mendes, Júlio; Pinto, Patrícia
    This study aims to measure the image of Lagos in the Algarve region, the most important Portuguese destination, in a cognitive, affective and behavioral approach. Given the lack of studies which compare the perspectives of tourists and residents, the empirical investigation includes a mixed methodology enabling a holistic approach followed by a quantitative methodology with the use of questionnaires. The attributes that are more consensually associated with Lagos are the good weather and good beaches, although these variables do not have significant discriminatory power for “recommendation of the destination to friends and family” as the dependent variable, in a CHAID analysis.
  • The sea as a connection between residents and tourists in coastal destinations: A case in Algarve
    Publication . Agapito, Dora; Mendes, Júlio; Pinto, Patrícia
    Coastal regions involve a set of interactions between tourists and residents, which implies that management and marketing strategies should take into account both stakeholders. Indeed, one of the greatest challenges of destination management organizations is to understand that they serve not only tourists and stakeholders directly related to tourism, but also the local community. Thus, the central purpose of this study is to measure the destination image of both tourists’ and residents’ perspectives, identifying the major aspects of agreement and disagreement. The data was collected in Lagos, one of the 16 municipalities of the Algarve (South Portugal), which, due to its coastal location, offers sun-beach tourism. Furthermore, due to historical, cultural and economic reasons, the sea has been a factor of identity for the coastal communities in the region. The empirical investigation includes a mixed methodology, with the use of open-ended questions followed by the application of a structured questionnaire to both tourists and residents. The results meet the growing need to diversify the destination supply depending on “sun and beach”, aiming at local sustainable development by focusing on the cultural component and the sea as an important attribute of the destination.