Pull attributes of the Algarve: the tourists' view

The Algarve is an internationally recognized tourist destination. The identification by tourists of the most valued attributes of this destination helps to explain the touristic demand for the Algarve. As such, the aim of this paper is twofold: to understand how tourists' socio-demographic profile influences their assessment of the main pull attributes of the Algarve, and to understand how such assessment affects the length of stay. Data were collected using a face-to-face questionnaire survey of 554 recently arrived tourists. Our results generally support previous findings. However, two results are unexpected: (1) despite "sun and beach" being the most valued attribute of the Algarve, more educated tourists value the attribute in a complementary manner with other attributes; and (2) first-time tourists from northern European countries are less impressed with the attributes of the Algarve, and, consequently, stay for shorter periods of time compared with other tourists.Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia [UID/SOC/04020/2013]