312
A. I. Correia et al.
Geopark: ‘In the management of the VCLG, the example of the Arouca Geopark
should be followed. The results speak for themselves: it is the geopark with the
most notoriety in Portugal’ (EAT2). The marketing strategy to be assumed must be
anchored in a segmentation of the supply in two major nuclei: natural resources and
cultural resources: ‘We must pay particular attention to the existing cultural offerings
(Braga, Pinhão, Foz Côa, Amarante) in the Geopark, the city of Viana itself, tours
with interpretation and finally the customisation of the offer’ (EAT4); ‘In fact, the
VCLG is a way to preserve our natural and cultural heritage’.
The resultant key topics are the importance of resource preservation, adoption
and promotion of sustainable tourism practices, the main reasons for doing so and
how enterprises implement and promote these practices.
The third dimension analysed in the interview is related to the implementation of
sustainable tourism practices and its promotion through SM. The results show that
almost all of the interviewed owners/managers of local leisure-related enterprises are
aware of the importance of preserving the cultural and natural resources, due to their
central role to current and future activity. This perception is indeed the norm rather
than the exception. They recognise that the provided activities and experiences, which
are based on local traditions and natural resources, are one of the main reasons why
they are chosen by their clients. Another important reason for customers’ choices
pertains to customers’ perceptions of the business itself, which is clearly demonstrated by the explanation given by EAT2, when referring that ‘Tourists make their
choice based on their evaluation about the seriousness and coherence regarding the
use of resources, the provided activities and experiences, and its promotion’. Also,
EAT4 underlines that the majority of their clients choose their business ‘because they
relate it to the fact of being a local and family-owned business with steady concerns
about the preservation of local resources’.
Five of the six interviewees implement and promote sustainable tourism practices. Three of them are clear in mentioning that the main reason for doing so is
directly linked to the intrinsic features of the business owners/managers, reflecting
the way they see and feel the environment, so as their values. They strongly believe
that individuals and businesses have a critical role in resource preservation. This
idea is clearly explained by EAT4 by stating its will to ‘leave a legacy for future
generations, balancing nature and defending cultural heritage’, showing this as the
enterprise’s own values. Also, EAT6 cites the ‘maximum respect for the environment,
for local people’, reinforcing the importance of ‘connecting with Nature’, and the
need for a ‘balance between the use of resources and its preservation’. This study
reveals that there are different sustainable tourism practices being implemented by
leisure-related enterprises’ owners/managers. Three interviewees (EAT4, EAT5, and
EAT6) have a wide active role by participating in different initiatives promoted by
public organisations. On the other hand, EAT2 is more actively supportive to initiatives promoted by the locals. Furthermore, EAT6 also stands for and participates in
volunteering environment-related initiatives.
Furthermore, all five interviewees are committed to good practices’ dissemination,
when they present all the activity briefings to their customers. This is a common
practice amongst these businesses. Two of them (EAT4 and EAT7) highlighted that
A. I. Correia et al.
Geopark: ‘In the management of the VCLG, the example of the Arouca Geopark
should be followed. The results speak for themselves: it is the geopark with the
most notoriety in Portugal’ (EAT2). The marketing strategy to be assumed must be
anchored in a segmentation of the supply in two major nuclei: natural resources and
cultural resources: ‘We must pay particular attention to the existing cultural offerings
(Braga, Pinhão, Foz Côa, Amarante) in the Geopark, the city of Viana itself, tours
with interpretation and finally the customisation of the offer’ (EAT4); ‘In fact, the
VCLG is a way to preserve our natural and cultural heritage’.
The resultant key topics are the importance of resource preservation, adoption
and promotion of sustainable tourism practices, the main reasons for doing so and
how enterprises implement and promote these practices.
The third dimension analysed in the interview is related to the implementation of
sustainable tourism practices and its promotion through SM. The results show that
almost all of the interviewed owners/managers of local leisure-related enterprises are
aware of the importance of preserving the cultural and natural resources, due to their
central role to current and future activity. This perception is indeed the norm rather
than the exception. They recognise that the provided activities and experiences, which
are based on local traditions and natural resources, are one of the main reasons why
they are chosen by their clients. Another important reason for customers’ choices
pertains to customers’ perceptions of the business itself, which is clearly demonstrated by the explanation given by EAT2, when referring that ‘Tourists make their
choice based on their evaluation about the seriousness and coherence regarding the
use of resources, the provided activities and experiences, and its promotion’. Also,
EAT4 underlines that the majority of their clients choose their business ‘because they
relate it to the fact of being a local and family-owned business with steady concerns
about the preservation of local resources’.
Five of the six interviewees implement and promote sustainable tourism practices. Three of them are clear in mentioning that the main reason for doing so is
directly linked to the intrinsic features of the business owners/managers, reflecting
the way they see and feel the environment, so as their values. They strongly believe
that individuals and businesses have a critical role in resource preservation. This
idea is clearly explained by EAT4 by stating its will to ‘leave a legacy for future
generations, balancing nature and defending cultural heritage’, showing this as the
enterprise’s own values. Also, EAT6 cites the ‘maximum respect for the environment,
for local people’, reinforcing the importance of ‘connecting with Nature’, and the
need for a ‘balance between the use of resources and its preservation’. This study
reveals that there are different sustainable tourism practices being implemented by
leisure-related enterprises’ owners/managers. Three interviewees (EAT4, EAT5, and
EAT6) have a wide active role by participating in different initiatives promoted by
public organisations. On the other hand, EAT2 is more actively supportive to initiatives promoted by the locals. Furthermore, EAT6 also stands for and participates in
volunteering environment-related initiatives.
Furthermore, all five interviewees are committed to good practices’ dissemination,
when they present all the activity briefings to their customers. This is a common
practice amongst these businesses. Two of them (EAT4 and EAT7) highlighted that