Place Attachment in protected areas: An exploratory study

Hugo Martins; António Pinheiro; Eduardo Gonçalves

doi:10.25145/j.pasos.2023.21.032

Authors

Hugo Martins University of Maia - ISMAI https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1651-8715
António Pinheiro University of Maia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8846-295X
Eduardo Gonçalves University of Maia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0908-2623

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25145/j.pasos.2023.21.032

Keywords:

Place Attachment, Protected Areas, Place Dependence, Place Identity, Affective Attachment, Social Bonds

Abstract

With the increasing number of destinations and thus competition, there is a need to study visitors' behaviour and how to achieve their loyalty. The aim of this exploratory study is to test and analyse the Place Attachment scale in the context of tourist destinations. The methodology applied was quantitative, and data collection was carried out through the use of a questionnaire survey. The territory under analysis was a protected area in Northern Portugal, Peneda-Gerês, the only national park in the country. A total of 507 valid questionnaires were collected and subsequently coded. According to the data collected, there are dimensions where the degree of agreement is higher than others: the dimensions of Place Dependence and Place Identity stand out over the dimensions of Affective Attachment and Social Bonds. This happens because people frequent certain places more because of what the place provides or offers than because of the social relationships that may occur in that place.

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Author Biography

Hugo Martins, University of Maia - ISMAI

Doutorado em Turismo pela Universidade de Coimbra (Portugal);

Professor de Turismo no Instituto UNiversitário da Maia ISMAI

Investigador do CEDTUR - Centro de Estudos de Desenvolvimento Turístico

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