Modeling tourist itineraries in heritage cities. Routes around the Old District of Girona

Abstract

Tourists do not follow random behavior in heritage cities, but they are consciously or uncons- ciously guided by socially constructed itineraries. This article studies the shaping of these itineraries in a heritage city (Girona), using the direct observation methodology during the visit (following the tourists from a prudent distance and gathering all the information about their visits) and the conventional ques- tionnaire at the end of the visit. It also establishes which the sociodemographic, environmental and in- formative factors are that explain this behavior. The simultaneous use of the observation method and a questionnaire was found to be a useful technique for analyzing tourists’ behavior and the factors that explain this behavior.

Keywords

• heritage cities
• tourist´s behaviour
• tracking tourists
• direct observation
• urban routes