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- Hedonic experiences at heritage attractions: the visitor’s perspectivePublication . Bender, Ana Carolina; Guerreiro, Manuela; Sequeira, Bernardete; Mendes, JúlioPurpose The purpose of this study is to explore the hedonic experience and its formation at heritage attractions. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative and exploratory approach was applied, using data from 21 semi-structured interviews and three in-situ focus groups. Findings Findings highlight that senses, imagery and emotions are stimulated by the physical landscape and by triggers of memorable experiences. Research limitations/implications To further explore this topic, a broader range of heritage attractions and perspectives from the diverse stakeholders involved in the management and consumption of these sites is needed. Originality/value Given the scarcity of research dedicated to the hedonic experience at heritage sites, this study provides a contribution by exploring the visitor's perspective and points out relevant insights. As the hedonic feelings of pleasure, comfort and related affective responses impact the quality of memorable experiences, relevant implications for theory and practice are discussed.
- How do residents experience their own festivals? A qualitative approach to meanings and experiencesPublication . Brás, Nídia; Mendes, Júlio; Guerreiro, Manuela; Sequeira, BernardeteRural communities have recently been using events as tools for local development, especially if they are part of their community development policies (Richards & Palmer 2010; Ziakas & Costa 2010; Ziakas 2016). Economic benefits, feelings of belonging to the community, Urban regeneration, quality of life, and cultural and social benefits are usually recognised as the main impacts of events (Fredline, Jago, & Deery 2003; Chalip 2006; Richards & Palmer 2010; Schulenkorf & Edwards 2012; Ziakas 2016). Ziakas (2016) suggests that more research into the impacts of cultural or festival events is needed (Ziakas 2016). Moreover, de Geus, Richards and Toepoel (2016, p. 276) argue that literature ‘on event experiences is very scarce and fragmented’. There is little understanding of what kind of meanings and experiences residents attach to a festival that occurs in the place where they live. Therefore, this study aims to examine the meanings and experiences residents ascribe to a festival in a local community in a small inland region in Portugal – Mértola. Mértola is a small town with 7,274 inhabitants (Instituto Nacional de Estatística [Statistics Portugal] 2011), located in the interior of Portugal. The abundant archaeological remains from the Muslim occupation in the 11th and 12th centuries have given rise to several little museums within the town, which are one of the main tourist attractions and a source of pride for the inhabitants. Known as ‘Museum Town’, Mértola has been the stage of the Mértola Islamic Festival since 2001. The event takes place every two years and ‘seeks to evoke and preserve the heritage of the Muslim period in the south of the Iberian Peninsula’ (Câmara Municipal de Mértola 2015, p. 8). The methodology included semi-structured interviews with residents from different areas of the town and had three main objectives: (i) to understand the experiences of residents in the Islamic Festival, (ii) to understand the meanings that residents attach to the Islamic Festival and (iii) to characterise the most relevant memories of their participation in this festival. Findings of this study are likely to make significant contributions to theory and practice by furthering our understanding of how residents feel and experience the events that take place in their own cities. Also, the study highlights the often-undervalued role of residents as meaning makers and as consumers of the event.