PACTUAL
CULTURAL HERITAGE
AND TOURISM IN ALENTEJO 2022-24
THE PROJECT
The PACTUAL research project - "Cultural Heritage and Tourism in the Alentejo: motivations and experiences of the Portuguese visitors" - is part of CIDEHUS/University of Évora (UÉVORA) and is financed by national funds through the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT).
The main aim of this project is to study the cultural tourism experience in the Alentejo and to develop indicators for monitoring the cultural tourism, complementing the work of ASTO - Observatory for Sustainable Tourism in the Alentejo.
The results of the project will contribute to the protection and enhancement of this region's identity, filling the knowledge gap about the cultural tourist who visits the Alentejo, with a focus on the importance of the tangible and intangible heritage.
The work carried out by the PACTUAL team aligns with the monitoring competencies of ASTO - Alentejo Sustainable Tourism Observatory. It aims to contribute to two primary strategic dimensions, which are based on:
the recognition of the importance of the Alentejo's cultural heritage;
the production of scientific knowledge in the fields of tourism and heritage, to be transferred to the region in order to facilitate its sustainable development.
MISSION
Tangible and intangible cultural heritage is considered to be a mark of the region's identity and, for this reason, higher education institutions and research centres have an important role to play in defending, enhancing and promoting it.
The project's existence is anchored in the recognition of the importance of tangible and intangible heritage for the Alentejo destination, with the aim of filling the gap in scientific knowledge about the motivations and experiences of Portuguese cultural tourists visiting the Alentejo.
Fonte: Tribuna Alentejo (2022)
Fonte: Maria Matias, 2024
There is currently a growing tendency for tourists to seek the cultural heritage of destinations and, in Portugal, cultural heritage has never been emphasised so much for tourism as in recent years. Each region reveals a unique and distinctive cultural potential that defines its identity and makes it possible to develop a more competitive tourism offer.
PACTUAL's proposal is innovative because it stems from the fact that there is a gap in research, especially in Portugal (specifically at regional level), on the profile of the Portuguese cultural tourist who visits the Alentejo. It therefore aims to contribute to CIDEHUS's research and heritage areas, as well as to its affirmation as a knowledge transfer centre, by producing specific indicators related to cultural tourism in the region.
GOALS
The Alentejo region is celebrated for its rich and diverse cultural heritage. This heritage has been meticulously cultivated to cater to an increasing consumer interest in both its tangible and intangible aspects. This interest has sparked the development of projects centered around creative and cultural tourism activities. However, a comprehensive profile of the region’s visitors, including their motivations, has yet to be established.
Employing a quantitative approach, the PACTUAL research project aims to achieve the following objectives:
Identify and analyze the motivations that drive Portuguese visitors to explore the cultural heritage of Alentejo
Identify and characterize the types of experiences that visitors associate with the cultural heritage of the Alentejo region.
Describe visitor participation in creative activities linked to intangible cultural heritage, such as handicrafts, gastronomy, etc;
Determine the level of importance that visitors attribute to the various forms of cultural heritage in Alentejo