Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: María Moral Moral
Author-Name: María Teresa Fernández Alles
Title:  PERCEPCIONES DEL RESIDENTE LOCAL HACIA EL TURISMO INDUSTRIAL COMO UNA MODALIDAD DE DESARROLLO SOSTENIBLE
Abstract: Resumen:La finalidad de esta investigación es determinar las percepciones del residente local hacia el turismo industrial como una modalidad turística sostenible bajo la conceptualización teórica de la Teoría del Desarrollo Sostenible o Triple Bottom Line. La metodología empleada es la técnica de Partial Least Square, (PLS). Los resultados evidencian que el turismo industrial constituido por tres dimensiones (i.e., económica, social y medioambiental) es percibido como sostenible por el residente local. Esta percepción está determinada en mayor medida por la asociación del turismo industrial con la dimensión medioambiental de la sostenibilidad.Abstract:Industrial tourism is one of the new tourism modalities with the greatest potential for growth and development in the world and, in particular, in Spain. Its purpose is to exploit the industrial heritage both old and present, paying special attention to the reuse as cultural elements of abandoned factories in urban areas and areas of industrial decline (Pardo Abad, 2004). In this sense, the aim is to integrate tourist activity in disused industrial or business centers such as factories, warehouses, workshops, processing areas and natural resources, etc., in an attempt to immerse the tourist and society in the activities and processes developed.
However, it is essential to implement a sustainable management of tourism resources and, more specifically, in the industrial ones. It is a guarantee to promote economic and social development, promoting respect for the environment and the environment. Thus, given the peculiarities of industrial tourism, it can be considered as a sustainable modality in the light of the different researches in this field. In spite of this, it is corroborated the lack of contributions that empirically validate this issue by opening a new avenue of study of paramount importance in the field of tourism research. It is necessary to reach the tourist sustainability of a destination to involve the local population in the management of their own resources.
Thus, the aims of this paper is to analyze the local resident's perceptions towards industrial tourism as a sustainable tourism modality under the theoretical conceptualization of the Theory of Sustainable Development or Triple Bottom Line. This theoretical framework bases the study of sustainability under three dimensions (i.e. economic, social and environmental) (Ayuso Siart, 2003, Montaño Valle, 2015).
This paper is a new contribution that tries to analyze if the tourism management of the industrial heritage is carried out under a sustainable approach from the point of view of the local resident and what are their perceptions about the tourist offer that represents the industrial heritage.
More specifically, this research focuses on evaluating the perceptions of the resident of the province of Cadiz (Andalusia, Spain) on the industrial heritage that treasures this territory as a framework for the development of sustainable tourism.
The selection of the province of Cadiz as the framework for the study of research is based on two main reasons: first, because it is one of the tourist destinations with a greater supply of tourism resources linked to the industrial heritage, and secondly, for the great impulse that has been given to this offer during the last decade, both from institutions and companies, to position industrial tourism as one of the most important modalities for the local tourism sector.
The research methodology is based on the use of Structural Equation Models (SEM) and, more concretely, Partial Least Square (PLS). The proposed model aims, in particular, to evaluate the usefulness of the dimensions defined in the Theory of Sustainable Development or Triple Bottom Line (i.e, economic, social and environmental) as an element to determine if the industrial tourism is perceived by the local resident as sustainable, and it really considers that it is constituted by each of these dimensions.
The questionnaire based on previous studies is structured into three groups of variables analyzed: demographic characteristics of the respondents, perception of the offer of industrial tourism in the province of Cadiz, perception about the sustainable nature of industrial tourism. The total number of items was 21. Thus, three types of questions were used: first, yes/no answers for the perception of industrial tourism province of Cadiz (7 questions); second questions based on a scale of 7 points to assess the views of the local resident on the sustainability of industrial tourism based on three dimensions: economic, social and environmental (11 questions) and third, three questions on the demographic characteristics of the interviewed.
The fieldwork based on an online survey during the month of May 2017. The sample is composed of 118 university students. In the PLS analysis, is used SmartPLS v.2 software, while for the descriptive analysis of the data the statistical program IBM SPSS Statistics Version 22.
Among the main demographic characteristics of respondent local residents, it appears that the gender distribution is homogeneous although the percentage of women is slightly higher than men. The average age of the respondent is 20 years. As for the locality of the participants, residents predominate in the city of Cadiz (40.1%), Chiclana (14.6%) and San Fernando (10,7%).
Regarding the level of knowledge of the respondent on the offer of industrial tourism in the province of Cadiz. It is observed that slightly more than half of the subjects affirm that they know the places and resources that can be visited (54.2%). There is a very high percentage of the sample interested in carrying out industrial tourism activities (75.4%). Nevertheless, only 27.1% consider that there is enough information.
Thus, half of the respondents have carried out an industrial tourism activity, the high degree of satisfaction with a high probability of repeat visits (73.3%), as well as the intention of the local resident to recommend tourists and acquaintances The carrying out of industrial tourism activities in the province of Cadiz (83.3%).
Among the main motivation to carry out an industrial tourism is first of all a formative/learning (60%), second entertainment (33.3%), third, the desire to live new experiences (20%) or the recommendation by other referents nearby (11.7%).
The structural model proposed in this paper is validated. The reliability and validity of the proposed scale is confirmed. We obtain outler loadgings (λ) with a load equal to or greater than 0.707 (Barclay et al., 1995; Hair et al., 2011). The values of composite realibity (ρc) are greater than 0.8. Also, the existence of discriminant validity is confirmed.
The three hypotheses proposed are supported empirically. It is revealed that all dimensions that make up the construct Sustainable Industrial Tourism (Tur_Ind_Sost) have predictive validity, that is the constructs: economic dimension (Eco), social dimension (Soc) and environmental dimension (Mamb).
Among the main conclusions, it is confirmed that the local resident perceives industrial tourism as a sustainable tourism modality constituted by the economic, social and environmental dimensions, given the empirical validation of the three hypotheses formulated. The environmental dimension is the most important construct in the perception of the local resident of industrial tourism as a sustainable modality.
As a result of this research, the linkage between industrial tourism and sustainability through the use of Sustainable Development Theory or Triple Bottom Line (Ayuso Siart, 2003; Montaño Valle, 2015) is empirically validated. It is recommended to apply this theoretical framework for the analysis of sustainability to other tourism modalities and for the study of other points of view of stakeholders. Finally, it is suggested that a greater effort be made to promote and disseminate the offer of industrial tourism, both by the institutions and the business sector, because industrial tourism is a modality that contributes to the development of sustainable tourism.
Classification-JEL: R1
Keywords: Turismo Industrial, Patrimonio Industrial, Turismo sostenible, Cádiz., Industrial Tourism, Industrial Heritage, Sustainable Tourism
Pages: 45-69
Volume: 1
Year: 2019
File-URL: http://www.revistaestudiosregionales.com/documentos/articulos/pdf-articulo-2561.pdf
File-Format: Application/pdf
Handle: RePEc:rer:articu:v:1:y:2019:p:45-69