Travel motivations of the residents of Guimarães

Guimaraes has made a major effort in promoting tourism, positioning itself as an urban and cultural tourism destination. This strategy is based on the historical heritage of the city, which is a UNESCO world heritage site since 2001, and the promotion of events, such as the European Capital of Culture (ECOC) in 2012. The new image created for Guimaraes has defined a new lifestyle for its residents by placing tourism and culture at the forefront of a new development strategy. This study examines the underlying reasons for the travel decisions of the population of the municipality of Guimaraes, investigating their push and pull tourist motivations. The study also analyses the role that important socio-demographic variables play in determining travel motivations of residents from this municipality. The empirical analysis was undertaken based on questionnaires administered in 2012 to residents of Guimaraes. Results show that gender, age, and education make a difference with regard to travel motivations.