In recent years, due to ongoing social changes and a more stressful lifestyle, the demand for relaxation and recreation opportunities has gained prominence as an alternative to the conventional treatment of physical illness. At the same time, while many nature-based tourism locations are facing a structural economic crisis due to their limited tourism income, others that have promoted the benefits of “health and wellbeing” as part of their appeal have increased their incomes [1].
In particular, tourism facilities such as spas, which integrate thermal treatments with general wellness, are less susceptible to the effects of these recent economic challenges. For instance, in some countries, thermal tourism is increasingly linked to other forms of tourism such as sport, recreation and culture [2]. In this way, they offer the possibility of spending time outdoors and deriving benefit from the surrounding environment as well as the spa itself. One form of tourism that meshes perfectly with both thermal treatments and natural thermal features is geotourism.
Hose [3] first defined geotourism as “the provision of interpretive and service facilities to enable tourists to acquire knowledge and understanding of the geology and geomorphology of a site (including its contribution to the development of the Earth sciences) beyond the level of mere aesthetic appreciation”. Several other definitions have followed [4], though all share a focus on landscape and geology, and on promoting knowledge and conservation of Earth features [5,6]—with some emphasizing the benefits for future generations [7].
Geotourism can intersect with other forms of tourism; in fact, there is evidence that geological features (or parks) and spas provide reciprocal aid [8] and many geosites have a positive impact on tourism development, such as in Canyon Colca Geopark in Peru [9,10], Kızılcahamam–Çamlıdere Geopark in Ankara, Turkey [11]; Krupaja and the Žagubica Springs in the Homolje region, Serbia [12], Czech-Bavarian Geopark (geopark.cz) and also in another part of Spiš Region in Slovakia [13].
Geological features tell us a story that was written over the course of millions of years, including elements of abiotic nature that were formed due to the activity of mineral and thermal waters. Some of these features are considered more beautiful and interesting than others, and their value derives not only from their unique character but also from their scientific and educational value. The question is whether these features are compelling only for visitors with a specific interest or specialized knowledge in geology [14], or also for a broad spectrum of tourists whose familiarity with Earth sciences [15] may vary widely. In our view this is a crucial distinction, because one of the central aims of geotourism is to interpret and promote the geoheritage of a particular destination by making it easily understandable and attractive, and thus accessible, to the general public. Moreover, in a context in which the main attraction is the spa, like in this study, the presence of geological features might be of secondary relevance for the users.
Another issue is that the description and promotion of new geosites generally relies on individual scientific experts, on the basis of their expertise in geology and their specialized knowledge of the territory. Decisions are often based on specific identification and qualitative assessment methods [16,17], the thus the choice to promote a geological feature as a geosite is often subjective and linked to local territorial policy decisions.
Understanding the receptiveness of tourists to the prospect of increasing their knowledge about a specific natural area (especially in terms of its geological features) would be helpful in promoting actions that aim to increase people’ general geological knowledge of the territory. It could also contribute added value to the particular area, and provide valuable insights for landscape planning and protection. Therefore, such tourist-centered research may supplement existing analytical research based on traditional scientific assessment methods.
Such questions may be addressed using motivation theory, which is extensively applied in tourism studies (e.g., [18] and which may be divided into two different approaches to the understanding of human motivations [19]. The first approach is based on content theories, which investigate “what the human needs are and how these needs change over time” [20]. In contrast, the second approach is based on process theories and attempts to describe “the mechanisms by which human needs are formed and could change” [21,22]. According to Kozak & Decrop [18], content theories have been applied in the specific context of tourist motivations by Pearce [23], Crompton [24] and Iso-Ahola and Allen [25].
The motivation of tourists to travel has been widely studied, and a variety of different theories have been developed [18,26]. Many of these theories are based on the assumption that tourists are driven by underlying behavioral patterns that lead them to particular types of destinations. The analysis of such psychological needs can be traced back to the hierarchy theory of Maslow [20], and subsequent theories of push and pull motivations [27,28]. According to these theoretical frameworks, tourists respond to “pushing” factors (such as the need to rest and escape from daily life routines) as intrinsic motivations to travel, while “pulling” factors attract them to particular destinations. Crompton [24] first identified seven pushing factors (escape, self-exploration, relaxation, prestige, regression, kinship-enhancement, and social interaction) and two cultural, or pulling factors (novelty and education). This theory has been applied in many studies concerning trips to different destinations or events [29,30].
Therefore, tourists’ motivations are influenced not only by personal factors but also by the characteristics of the destinations, which in turn may be promoted in ways that respond to the expectations and desires of potential visitors. The way the information is delivered to the tourist and the way the tourist processes the information play a critical role in building the tourist’s perception, which may differ from the “true” attributes of the touristic offering [29,31,32,33]. Satisfying the tourist’s pre-travel expectations and maximizing actual travel satisfaction should be business objectives, and promoting the physical attributes of the destination with an objective description of its characteristics and attractiveness for tourists is necessary to enhance tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty [34].
In the current study, two “thermal tourism” sites, Kúpele Vyžne Ružbachy spa in Slovakia and San Giovanni spa in Italy, have been considered because of the combination of the thermal pools—which are assumed to be the main attraction for tourists, satisfying their intrinsic motivations related to health and relaxation—and the geological features of recognized scientific value, that are located in close proximity of the pools.
Πηγή: Thermal Tourism and Geoheritage: Examining Visitor Motivations and Perceptions