Innovation and Sustainable in rural tourism

The motivation and perception of tourists

Abstract

Objectives: Rural tourism has a high potential to stimulate local economic growth and social change due to its complementarity with other economic activities, its contribution to income and job creation at the local level, and its ability to induce tourist demand throughout the year (UNWTO, 2022). This is why Pato (2015) has emphasized the three main purposes of tourism in Portugal: i) to offer those looking for the opportunity to relive the practices, values, and cultural and gastronomic traditions of rural societies, benefiting from a personalized welcome; ii) to contribute to the diversification of tourism at national level; iii) to contribute to the diversification of agricultural and rural activities, i.e. rural development. But in order to achieve these goals and attract considerable tourist demand, the tourism product must be both innovative and sustainable. Although these premises seem to be increasingly important in rural tourism (Lane et al., 2022), there is still little research on the subject, particularly in Portugal. So, based on a questionnaire survey of tourists, this paper aims to explore the reasons why tourists see sustainability and innovation in rural tourism enterprises as important characteristics for the success of tourist activity and the differentiation of these enterprises in an increasingly competitive tourist market.

Methodology: To carry out this work, a questionnaire survey was administered to tourists who have stayed or are thinking of staying in rural tourism (TER) resorts. The survey consisted of six main sections: i) What motivates tourists to stay overnight in TER resorts; ii) Tourists' perceptions of rural areas; iii) Social, economic, and environmental sustainability in rural areas; iv) Innovation in TER resorts; v) Price per night; vi) Demographic data. The survey consists of 5-point Likert scales (in sections I and II), while the remaining sections include closed and multiple choice questions. In order to validate the survey, a pre-test was carried out by administering 12 face-to-face surveys over one week. After adjusting the survey, it was launched on social media and applied in person during the months with the highest tourist flow, late July, August, and early September. A total of 125 surveys were obtained. Data analysis involved exploratory descriptive statistics using SPSS.

Main results and contributions: In terms of sociodemographic characterization, the sample in this study is made up of female tourists, aged between 21 and 60, who generally travel with their families and whose main motive is leisure. Most of them belong to the middle and upper classes and are commercial and/or administrative employees. The data collected indicates that tourists feel motivated to seek out TER resorts mainly for reasons of: tranquillity (64%), relaxing the mind (62.4%), and escaping the stress of everyday life (64.8%). Most of the respondents' perceptions of TER resorts are that they are safe, quiet, and calm spaces (62.4%), that they have historical attractions and diverse cultural heritage (36%), and that they are associated with varied cuisine (36.8%). The majority of respondents (98%) consider it important that TER enterprises have a sustainable strategic plan and 92% consider it important that TER enterprises have links with local and/or regional entities and associations. When asked about the importance of environmental certificates, 67% of respondents said that certificates are not important, paying more attention to what is done on the ground. The majority of respondents (96%) consider innovation in tourism to be important, especially if it is linked to the product/service with the introduction of diversified products on the market, organizational innovation, and marketing. The majority of respondents (95%) also see sustainability as a form of innovation. Concerning the prices to be paid for the service, respondents are willing to pay between €51 and €200. The contributions of this study make it possible to clearly understand the motivation and perception of tourists associated with aspects of innovation and sustainability, thus making it possible to develop a TER resort more properly.

Limitations: The main limitation of the work is time. This limited the development of other information-gathering tools, especially interviews. Therefore, in the future, it would be important to conduct interviews in which tourists could express their motivation and perception of the aspects they value in TER resorts.

Conclusions: The study allows us to conclude that in an increasingly competitive and uncertain market, TER resorts can assert themselves as accommodation units with their particularities, which are related to the security and tranquillity provided, as emphasized in the studies by Silva & Carvalho (2022), culture, local traditions and history, and traditional cuisine. But in order to achieve the objectives set out, there is no doubt that aspects of innovation and sustainability are premises to be considered when designing and developing this type of enterprise.

Bibliographical references

Lane, B., Kastenholz, E., & Carneiro, M. (2022). Rural Tourism and Sustainability: A Special Issue, Review and Upgrade for the Opening Years of the Twenty-First Century. Sustainability, 14, 6070. doi:https:// doi.org/10.3390/su14106070

OMT. (2022). UNWTO. Obtido de United Nations World Tourism Organization: https://www.unwto.org/

Pato, L. (2015). A Construção e Desenvolvimento do Turismo no Espaço Rural em Portugal: o papel da administração central nos seus conteúdos. Turismo em Análise, 26(4), 919-932.

Silva, S., & Carvalho, P. (2022). Turismo Rural em Portugal no contexto de incerteza decorrente da covid-19. Biblos, 8 (3), 169-194. doi:https://doi.org/10.14195/0870-4112_3-8_8