Joana Alegria Quintela

Thermal tourism has evolved from a predominantly therapeutic activity into a multidimensional component of health and wellness tourism, contributing to sustainable territorial development by integrating health, well-being, nature, culture, and local resources. This study explores the role of thermal tourism in Northern Portugal through a qualitative exploratory approach based on semi-structured interviews with managers of six thermal establishments and a regional tourism organisation. The findings reveal that product diversification, innovation, accessibility, and complementary tourism experiences are key drivers of destination competitiveness, while governance, infrastructure, coordinated marketing, and stakeholder collaboration remain significant challenges. Based on stakeholders' perspectives, an evidence-based strategic framework is proposed, structured around four complementary dimensions to strengthen destination resilience, competitiveness, and long-term sustainability through integrated territorial planning.

Wine tourism has emerged as a potential strategy for diversifying tourism activity and enhancing the value of agricultural landscapes, local production, and cultural heritage, particularly in island destinations. This study comparatively analyses the development, sustainability, and strategic role of wine tourism in the Canary Islands and Fogo (Cabo Verde), two Atlantic island contexts with contrasting tourism trajectories. The study was conducted between April and September 2026. A comparative case-study design based on scientific literature, institutional and technical documentation, and secondary data was applied, using Butler’s Tourism Area Life Cycle (TALC) as an interpretative framework. The results reveal two differentiated trajectories. In the Canary Islands, wine tourism operates within a mature international tourism destination but remains a developing-to-consolidating product, contributing to diversification and potential qualitative rejuvenation through volcanic wine landscapes, heritage, gastronomy, and local production. In Fogo, wine tourism remains emerging and is closely connected to Chã das Caldeiras, community-based structures, local wine production, and the volcanic landscape, potentially contributing to the structuring of small-scale local tourism development. The findings suggest that destination maturity and tourism-product development do not necessarily evolve simultaneously. Wine tourism may therefore perform different strategic functions according to the evolutionary context of the destination, reinforcing the importance of territorially adapted approaches to sustainable tourism development.

Urban tourism research has long recognised that understanding cities depends not only on accumulated knowledge but also on the ability to read space, interpret urban form and connect physical settings with cultural meaning. Although these ideas are well established in tourism geography, fewer studies have examined how such skills can be developed through structured learning activities in higher education. This article addresses this gap by analysing the Urban Hunting Game (UHG) as a place-based learning approach designed to strengthen students’ spatial awareness and analytical capacity to interpret urban environments through fieldwork and digital mapping. The UHG was implemented in two European cities, Porto and Kaunas, through distinct pedagogical structures shaped by local conditions. In Porto, students followed a collaborative process using uMap to co-create a single itinerary. In Kaunas, international student groups independently designed thematic routes using MyMaps. This differentiated methodological approach proved advantageous, as it showed how different levels of autonomy and digital engagement influence spatial decisions, interpretive strategies and the narratives that the students construct. Based on student-generated maps and observational notes, the findings show that the UHG enhances spatial literacy, encourages attention to detail and supports the translation of field observation into coherent tourism experiences. This study contributes to tourism geography by illustrating how map-centred, place-based learning methodologies can be adapted to diverse urban contexts and by highlighting their potential to develop interpretive and analytical competences relevant to urban tourism studies.

This research examines the ongoing challenge of depopulation in rural areas, focusing on the municipality of Buenavista del Norte in the Canary Islands. The objective is to analyse how governance and local community participation can contribute to reversing rural decline and to identify concrete strategies for sustainable development. Depopulation significantly impacts the social and economic viability of small rural municipalities, exacerbating marginalisation and isolation. The study applies a qualitative methodology, including interviews with public representatives, key strategic sector informants, and participatory group dynamics, to identify projects and resources that could foster local development. A core focus is placed on the integration of tourism, particularly wine tourism, as a tool for economic diversification and combating rural decline. Despite the Canary Islands’ status as a mature tourist destination, rural areas have not equally benefited, with some experiencing stagnation. Results point to the relevance of public–private collaboration, community-based innovation, and participatory approaches that engage key actors from various sectors. These processes facilitate the identification of viable projects and reveal the potential of tourism and sustainable community initiatives to reduce regional disparities. The implications of this research highlight the need for integrated local development strategies, improved infrastructure, and quality public services as essential measures to confront demographic challenges in remote areas. The inclusive governance, combined with strategic planning and tourism-based innovation, offers a viable roadmap for revitalising rural municipalities and ensuring their long-term resilience.

This study explores how AI chatbot experiences on travel websites influence consumer engagement, with satisfaction from using AI chatbots as a mediating factor. Grounded in the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework, the research shifts the focus from utilitarian models to examine how chatbot attributes—e.g., ease of use, information quality, security, anthropomorphism, and omnipresence—affect satisfaction of using AI chatbots and subsequent consumer engagement behaviours. Survey data from 519 Portuguese travellers were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The study contributes to theory by (1) demonstrating S-O-R’s advantages over utilitarian models in capturing relational and emotional dimensions of AI interactions, (2) identifying satisfaction with using AI chatbots as a pivotal mediator between AI chatbot experience and consumer engagement, and (3) revealing generational disparities in drivers of engagement. Notably, satisfaction strongly influences engagement for Generation X, while direct experience matters more for Generation Z. Millennials exhibit a distinct preference for hybrid human–AI service handoffs. The practical implications include prioritizing natural language processing for ease of use, implementing generational customization (e.g., gamification for Gen Z, reliability assurances for Gen X), and ensuring seamless human escalation for Millennials. These insights equip travel businesses to design AI chatbots that foster long-term loyalty and competitive differentiation.

This research examines the ongoing challenge of depopulation in rural areas, focusing on the municipality of Buenavista del Norte in the Canary Islands. Depopulation signif-icantly impacts the social and economic viability of small rural municipalities, exacer-bating marginalization and isolation. The study highlights the role of governance and local community participation in reversing this trend. The research identifies key pro-jects and resources that could foster local development using qualitative methods, such as interviews with public representatives, key strategic sector informants, and partici-patory group dynamics. A core focus is placed on the integration of tourism, particularly wine tourism, as a tool for economic diversification and combating rural decline. De-spite the Canary Islands’ status as a mature tourist destination, rural areas have not equally benefited, with some experiencing stagnation. The study explores opportunities for public-private collaboration and community-based innovation to address territorial imbalances. The participatory approach involves key actors from various sectors, facil-itating a collaborative process to identify viable projects. This research underscores the need for integrated local development strategies, enhanced infrastructure, and quality public services to confront the demographic challenges faced by remote areas. By em-phasizing tourism and sustainable community-based approaches, the study presents a roadmap for revitalizing rural municipalities through inclusive governance and strate-gic planning.

This study investigates the impact of wellness tourism motivation (WTM) on tourist satisfaction (TS) and tourist experience (TE), while also examining the mediating role of TE in the relationship between WTM and TS in the context of luxury spa resorts situated in the Himalayan regions of India. Drawing on an extensive review of the literature, this study proposes a conceptual model that hypothesizes the influence of WTM on TS and TE, as well as the impact of TE on TS. Data were collected through 260 questionnaires distributed to tourists visiting prominent spa resorts to validate the proposed model empirically. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the relationships between the constructs. The results revealed that wellness tourism motivations have a positive impact on both TS and TE. Additionally, TE serves as a mediator, further enhancing the connection between WTM and TS. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on wellness tourism by providing empirical evidence on the unique dynamics of WTM, TE, and TS in Himalayan spa resorts, which cater to a distinct segment of wellness tourists. The results offer valuable insights for tourism operators and policymakers, enabling them to design tailored wellness experiences that enhance customer satisfaction and meet the specific needs of wellness-focused travelers. This research underscores the importance of prioritizing tourist experiences as a strategic tool for fostering satisfaction and loyalty in the luxury wellness tourism sector.