Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Tourism Management and Hospitality
Year: 2024
DOI:
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Memorable Tourism Experiences On National Route 2 (EN2), Portugal: A Driver for Destination Competitiveness in Rural Areas
Catarina Frias , Carlos Ferreira
ABSTRACT:
Memorable Tourism Experience is a concept capable of improving the experience of the tourists at the location while contributing to the destination’s competitiveness, especially in less developed rural areas. In this way, the main objective of the study is to support the decisions of public and private managers in the consolidation of National Route 2 (NR2) – a backbone inland road crosscutting mainland Portugal from North to South – as a competitive, attractive, and differentiating tourist product, capable of bringing value and strategic development opportunities to the low-density and impoverished territories it crosses. This case study is empirically supported by a literature review and content analysis from fifteen (N=15) NR2 Portuguese travellers. The qualitative approach was conducted by in-depth semistructured interviews, between March and May 2022, with 22 questions. The research method used textual content analysis, supported by NVivo, version 11. The analysis reveals that the NR2 has a memorable tourism experience, where the sense of community and the desire to repeat the experience by travellers is high. People and landscapes are at the top of memories. Hospitality and involvement are viewed as strengths of the NR2. On the other hand, the security of the infrastructure and the difficult access to information (directions and tourist information) are presented weaknesses of the route.
keywords: Destination Competitiveness; Memorable Tourism Experience; National Route 2; Road-based Tourism; Tourism Development