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MADEIRA ISLAND TOURISTS
PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE AND
WELLBEING
Soraia Garcês | Margarida Pocinho | Saúl Neves de Jesus
T-FORUM GLOBAL CONFERENCE 4-7 November
2020
Algarve
Explore the tourists’
psychological profile and
the activities/experiences
that bring them more
wellbeing
“Tourists Wellbeing Project”
INTRODUCTION
Positive Psychology/
Wellbeing Madeira Island
Tourism
Experiences
https://www.touristwellbeingproject.com/
Data collection from
February to December 2019
Tourists from 37 countries
Portugal, Germany, UK,
Czech Republic
METHODOLOGY
Tourism Wellbeing Scale
(8 items;
alpha .83)
SPSS & content
analysis
471 tourists
(18-84 years)
TWS items ranking
1. “I had lots of fun” – Positive emotions (M=
6.09;SD =1.07)
2. “I faced this experience as unique/original
opportunity” – Creativity (M=5.77; SD=1.27)
3. “I felt good in the relationship Ideveloped with
new people” –Relationships (M=5.68; SD=
1.26)
FINDINGS
CINTURS -RESEARCH CENTRE FOR TOURISM SUSTAINABILITY AND WELL-BEING
Gender and age wellbeing differences
•Gender:No statistically significant differences
•Age: <40 years showed higher overall
wellbeing
•Positive emotions and creativity with
moderate effect size.
•Achievement and relationships with small-
moderate effect size.
FINDINGS
CINTURS -RESEARCH CENTRE FOR TOURISM SUSTAINABILITY AND WELL-BEING
Qualifications/education level
•High school degree or less showed higher
overall wellbeing than bachelor’s or higher
degree.
•Achievement and spirituality with a small
moderate effect size.
FINDINGS
CINTURS -RESEARCH CENTRE FOR TOURISM SUSTAINABILITY AND WELL-BEING
Job situation (Active and non-active workers)
•Non-active workers showed higher overall
wellbeing than active workers.
•Creativity, engagement, achievement and
spirituality with a small moderate effect
size.
FINDINGS
CINTURS -RESEARCH CENTRE FOR TOURISM SUSTAINABILITY AND WELL-BEING
First-timers and repeat visitors (41.4%)
•First-timers showed higher overall wellbeing
than repeat visitors.
•Meaning and Achievement with a small
effect size.
•Creativity with a small-moderate effect size.
FINDINGS
CINTURS -RESEARCH CENTRE FOR TOURISM SUSTAINABILITY AND WELL-BEING
Countries
•Portugal higher on meaning (small), creativity
and relationships (small-moderate) than
Germany.
•Czech Republic higher on creativity (small-
moderate) than Germany.
•UK higher on relationships (small-moderate)
than Germany.
FINDINGS
CINTURS -RESEARCH CENTRE FOR TOURISM SUSTAINABILITY AND WELL-BEING
Activities/experiences and psychological
profile
•Madeira most enjoyed
activities/experiences
1. Gastronomy (food, drink and
restaurants).
2. Levada’s walks.
3. Landscape.
FINDINGS
CINTURS -RESEARCH CENTRE FOR TOURISM SUSTAINABILITY AND WELL-BEING
Activities/experiences and psychological profile
•First psychological profile of the Madeira tourists
1. Positive emotions.
2. Unique and original experiences/opportunities.
3. Positive relationships.
4. Engagement in local activities.
5. Optimist.
6. Achievement.
7. Meaning in their lives.
8. Spiritual.
FINDINGS
CINTURS -RESEARCH CENTRE FOR TOURISM SUSTAINABILITY AND WELL-BEING
Activities/experiences and psychological
profile:
•Activities that promoted more wellbeing
1. People and hospitality.
2. Gastronomy (food, drink and restaurants).
3. Cultural events (Festivities, Night life).
FINDINGS
CINTURS -RESEARCH CENTRE FOR TOURISM SUSTAINABILITY AND WELL-BEING
CONCLUSION
CINTURS -RESEARCH CENTRE FOR TOURISM SUSTAINABILITY AND WELL-BEING
Overall,
The Madeira tourists is someone who is looking
to:
have some fun,
unique and original experiences,
interact and develop relationships with new
people,…
CONCLUSION
CINTURS -RESEARCH CENTRE FOR TOURISM SUSTAINABILITY AND WELL-BEING
The results showed that the activities and
experiences lived on the island contribute to the
increase of tourists’ wellbeing, and, thus, promoting
an optimal experience in this destination.
Develop and offer customized experiences based on
tourists’ psychological characteristics or adjust current
product offers and develop new marketing
strategies.
CONCLUSION
CINTURS -RESEARCH CENTRE FOR TOURISM SUSTAINABILITY AND WELL-BEING
This study brings insights about who is the tourist, not
in an economical view,which is the usual one, but
from asocial and a psychological perspective while
aiming to promote the tourists’ wellbeing.
It is avery challenging endeavour, and ambitious
research but a much needed and very different
outlook in this field, that hopefully, will help tourism
thrive and survive.
“Traveling—it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a
storyteller.
Ibn Battuta, The Travels of Ibn Battutah