Cultural Routes Crossing Portugal: history and traditions

Cultural routes across different regions create real opportunities to improve tourism dynamics, offering tourists more valuable experiences bringing benefits to the entire tourism value chain and to all tourism-related sectors (Perdomo, 2015). This study analyses the potential of a cultural and tourist product based on two routes in the Centre of Portugal, one following the path laid out by the 3rd French Invasion and another following the Historical National Road Nº2. The main goal is to investigate the attractiveness and market potential for the two routes specifically in the domestic market. Based on the results of a questionnaire applied to 622 domestic tourists, it became clear that these two routes are very attractive tourism products. This study provides valuable information about tourists’ purchase intention and about the amount of time and money, they are willing to spend to take each of the proposed routes.