There is evidence that increasing the Length of Stay (LOS) contributes to the sustainability of destinations. This paper analyzes LOS determinants in the Schist Villages Network (SVN) in Portugal, where almost half of the visitors are same-day visitors. Given that these visitors generate more environmental impacts, an increase in LOS would help guide tourism towards more sustainable standards. The analysis was performed using several Heckman selection models. Unlike the findings of previous studies, LOS depended mainly on the characteristics of the trip and the destination—not on visitor profile—and can therefore be considered a highly specific form of tourism. Comparatively, motivations associated with rest, residents’ hospitality, and local produce consumption encourage visitors to extend their stay, thereby boosting tourism sustainability. The SVN is also shown to have various cultural and heritage resources that are currently highly valued. However, the leisure offer is insufficient to increase LOS. Furthermore, conventional advertising was not shown to be effective in raising LOS compared with word-of-mouth (WOM). The paper concludes that measures should be adopted to increase the local produce offer, retain population, maintain traditional village activities, and attract visitors from nearby regions. These actions could increase overnight stays and LOS, contributing to more sustainable development.

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This paper falls within the scope of cultural tourism studies, focusing on a World Heritage Site and intends to contribute to tourism literature by trying to better understand the differences between the tourists visiting it. A survey was conducted by self-administered questionnaires designed to identify different types of cultural tourists in post-UNESCO Coimbra (Portugal) so as to understand what they look for, the importance they assign to motivational factors, whether they are interested in participatory activities which call for cognitive, intellectual or affective engagement and

de forma assinalável nos últimos anos, ancorado por fatores que incidiram tanto na oferta como na procura. Pelo lado da oferta, muitos territórios rurais apostaram no TER como alternativa para atenuar os seus múltiplos problemas. Pelo lado da procura, um importante e crescente número de pessoas começaram a procurar modelos turísticos em contato com a natureza, em ambientes rurais, relaxantes e tranquilos. Num contexto  tão  competitivo  como é o atual, o êxito dos destinos rurais vai depender, em grande medida, da lealdade turística. Neste trabalho analisa-se a lealdade dos turistas portugueses que visitaram uma ou mais das “Aldeias do Xisto” no Centro de Portugal, bem como as relações com a motivação e com a satisfação turística. Os resultados deveriam servir de ajuda para a tomada de decisões e para o desenho de estratégias de marketing efetivas no meio rural.

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