The perceived effects of events on tourism: the case of the festivities of the Romaria de Nossa Senhora d Agonia, Viana do Castelo, Northwest of Portugal

Abstract

Cultural tourism, through the participation in events, allows visitors to get knowledge of cultural elements, emerge in varied cultures, and experience different activities. Cultural events have become an object of study in tourism due to their economic impacts, along with the opportunity to preserve local traditions and to promote the destination itself. Visitors’ experiences depend not only on the existing activities and cultural elements, but also on the interaction of different groups of visitors with the local players. Thus, and based on four semi-structured interviews and on a focus group to the organization of the festivities, to the promotion of the town, local business, residents, this study analyzes the perceived effects of the festivities of the Romaria de Nossa Senhora d’Agonia to the town of Viana do Castelo, particularly on the local community and on tourism. The results indicate the unanimous perception of the importance and positive impacts of the festivity. The implications and suggestions for future work will also be presented.