Segmentation and sociodemographic profile of heritage tourist

Abstract

Purpose – Heritage tourism has been greatly developed in recent years, especially in cities declared the World Heritage Sites. This kind of research comes from the need of understanding the demands of tourists in destinations. Design – This research studies the sociodemographic profile of tourists and their perceptions about the attributes of the city of Sucre, which has been declared the World Heritage Site. This research is based on two previous theoretical models. Methodology – The fieldwork consisted of conducting 529 personal surveys. The field work was carried out via personal interviews with the tourists in Sucre. The conducted period was between November 2017 and March 2018. Approach – A high cultural level and a medium-high income level characterise most tourists. The attributes that a patrimonial tourist destination must have were analysed in order to make it a sustainable site, where both culture and tourism come together. Findings – The main results of the investigation show a segmentation of the tourists that visit this city into four types: alternative, cultural, emotional, and patrimonial tourists. Originality of the research – The results of this research determine the most highly valued attributes of the city and those that should be improved.