Il profilo dei turisti con motivazioni culturali: analisi comparata attraverso GPS e questionari sui visitatori del Lago d’Orta.

Cultural tourism is a relevant economic phenomenon and the understanding of the determinants of cultural tourists choices is important for the enhancement of tourism potentialities in different areas and the design of suitable policies. Adopting an economic approach, this paper aims at investigating, from the theoretical as well as the empirical point of view, cultural tourists profiles. The analysis is carried out using a unique database, consisting of data and information on the preferences, behaviour and socio-economic characteristics of visitors in the area surrounding the Orta Lake in Italy. A peculiar feature of such a database is that it combines data obtained through surveys as well as through global positioning system (GPS) technology, the latter monitoring the spatial-temporal flows generated by tourists. Unlike other empirical studies carried out in destinations with only a strong cultural characterization, the mixed features of the Orta Lake (a mix of culture, nature and sport/recreation attractions) allow for carrying out an analysis with a wider scope and for understanding the interdependencies among the different motivations for the visit.