Nostalgia, Sensations and Local Products in Rural Tourism Experiences in a Portuguese Schist Village

Abstract

Rural tourism has attracted increasing attention in recent decades. It responds to new market demands, some of which driven by a nostalgic quest for a ‘rural idyll’, as well as the need of many European rural territories to find new sources of income and development. Local products represent a relevant asset for appealing to rural tourist experiences, enhancing local identity and regional economies. Based on a study of the rural tourist experience as lived by visitors of a Portuguese schist village, the present paper analyses the role of nostalgia and sensory experiences in leading to tourists’ purchase of local products, using a conditional process analysis. Results confirm this link and also show that tourists seem to be more affected by these dynamics than excursionists. Implications of results for management and development of rural territories involving tourism and sales of local products are further discussed.