المحتوى متاح باللغة الإنجليزية

In order to gather strategic information to internationally position the Mediterranean as a unique and integral destination to experience the SlowTourism, the Med Pearls project included the development of a Market research on Slow Tourism demand in the recently published Research study on Slow Tourism international trends and innovations (See Library > Document).

In this chapter, the research investigates how the demand for slow tourism products and destinations works in the 7 countries with highest potential as Slow Tourism outbound markets towards the Mediterranean region.

The 7 markets chosen for this study were France, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. To select them, the research followed a twofold approach:

1. The market had to belong to the list of top outbound tourism markets towards the Med Pearls countries.
2. The market had to belong to the list of countries that care the most about the environment, and therefore, are more likely to have a sustainable approach to their travel behaviour.

The document guides the reader to a better understanding of the different characteristics that the Slow Tourism demand can present depending of the country of origin. For instance, a common feature that the research reveals is that all markets have a degree of “maturation” with regards to sustainability issues. As it is described, 90% of the French tourists value the importance to reduce their own carbon footprint when travelling; 48% of the USA consumers would change their consumption habits to benefit the environment; 83% of the UK population value the importance of reducing their own carbon footprint; and in Germany, 57% of consumers consider that their travels should be socially responsible.

Among the topics researched, the reader will find information regarding the economic data, travel forecasts and traveler behaviour of the market  (destination, type of holiday, seasonality, accommodation and transport preference, booking and planning habits, etc), as well as details on the flight connectivity to the Med Pearls destinations and the main media channels of the market.

It is important to highlight that chapters of the research include a graphic explanation of the general customer journey in every market, as well as description of the main features and types of Slow Tourism travelers. Insightful information that aims to explore this often uncharted type of tourism, but that has great potential to offer both destinations and markets a more sustainable way to travel.

Read the full CHAPTER 3 here: 3. Market research on Slow Tourism demand