Destination labels for historic villages: The impact on perception, experience, and satisfaction

Abstract

Many historic villages are trying to exploit the appeal of cultural heritage, an authentic atmosphere, and beautiful landscapes to emerge as rural tourism destinations. This study investigated the capacity of destination certifications and labels to positively influence tourists’ perceptions, experiences, and satisfaction from the perspective of destination competitiveness. As a case study, we selected an Italian village which was awarded the label of one of ‘The Most Beautiful Villages in Italy’. Multinomial logistic regression models were fitted to investigate differences in the ratings of tourists who were or were not aware of the label. The results suggested that the label could provide a significant competitive advantage to tourism in historic villages. Indeed, tourists who were aware of the label were more likely to rate their experience higher in terms of authenticity, personal involvement, and memorability. They also reported higher overall satisfaction and re-visit intentions. A relationship between tourists’ awareness of the label and the likelihood of a positive quality rating emerged only for those attributes strictly related with the main focus of the label. The findings of this study have important policy implications for historic villages’ tourism development.

Clustering the Perceptions of Labelled Actors of the Vallée de la Gastronomie-France

“…For that reason, the initial recognition of the VG project is well suited to the classical label perception of a product or service quality increased through labelling, standards, and certifications (Font & Buckley, 2001;Graci & Dodds, 2015). The main purpose of labelling in tourism is to distinguish a product, service, business, or destination from others by creating a specific designation for it (Chirieleison et al, 2021). The identity of a tourism label or certification can vary in terms of the focus, scope, or degree of formality and governance, which are the components of its complexity (Font, 2005;Font & Buckley, 2001;Lesar et al, 2020).…”

“…Moreover, the VG classification distinguishes basic activities (gourmand offers) and outstanding activities (remarkable experiences). This strategy corresponds to the rule of exceptionality, based on grouping which certified or labelled actors possess general and outstanding characteristics (Chirieleison et al, 2021). The VG aspires to become a gastronomy brand destination wherein tourists are offered gourmand offers and unforgettable experiences.…”

“…Nevertheless, other studies have underlined the problem of a profusion of labels used by the French event companies (Dornier, 2021). This abundance is also visible in the French tourism industry, influencing label inefficiency in performance (Cerqua, 2017;Klein & Dodds 2018) and lack of tourists' trust (Chirieleison et al, 2021). Finally, certifications may differ due to government or non-government organizations (Lesar et al, 2020).…”

“…Secondly, in terms of tourism label classification two conceptual groups of approaches can be discussed (Graci & Dodds, 2015;Chirieleison et al, 2021). In the broader sense, labelling is analyzed as a way of performing destination branding, and so it is used to develop the visibility of a touristic place, site or attraction.…”

Cultural Tourism in Rural Areas: Mapping Research Trends Through Bibliometric and Content Analysis

“…In particular, the authors emphasize that the segment of people interested in culture could be a good target group for rural destinations Kim et al (2021). explore the economic potential of experiential offerings in rural heritage destinations and emphasize the importance of emotional and cognitive aspects in experiential consumption Chirieleison et al (2021). investigate the influence of destination certifications and labels on the perception and satisfaction of tourists in Italian villages.…”