Abstract
The modern phenomenon of tourists seeking authentic experiences different from their day-to-day routines seems to be achieved in Portland, Maine’s Old Port. Tourism there continues to be branded as authentic, continues to grow, and visitors report exceptional satisfaction with their experience shown with an extremely high rate of return visits (Research-Visit Maine 2018). This research completes a place-based GIS analysis of where visitors go on the landscape compared to what tourists say is meaningful to them about Portland, Maine as a destination in order to “visualize” and then protect the authenticity that drives Maine’s booming tourism economy. This research has implications for any destination relying on an “authentic” brand.
Presenters
Tracy MichaudProgram Chair - Assistant Professor, Tourism and Hospitality Program, University of Southern Maine, Maine, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Authenticity, GIS, Mapping, Tourism planning, Tourism management
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