How promotional formats affect consumer preferences for apitourism experiences in rural areas

Uldemolins Gómez, Pilar; Magistris, Tiziana de; Maza Rubio, María Teresa

How promotional formats affect consumer preferences for apitourism experiences in rural areas

dc.contributor.author	Uldemolins Gómez, Pilar
dc.contributor.author	Magistris, Tiziana de
dc.contributor.author	Maza Rubio, María Teresa
dc.contributor.funder	Agencia Estatal de Investigación
dc.contributor.funder	Fondo de inversiones de Teruel (FITE)
dc.contributor.orcid	Uldemolins Gómez, Pilar [0000-0003-4284-2807]
dc.contributor.orcid	Magistris, Tiziana de [0000-0001-5480-183X]
dc.date.accessioned	2025-08-01T09:45:44Z
dc.date.available	2025-08-01T09:45:44Z
dc.date.updated	2025-08-01T08:41:13Z
dc.description.abstract	Tourism has been a key strategy for revitalizing rural areas facing depopulation, land abandonment, and economic decline. This study investigates tourist acceptance of apitourism (bee-related tourism) as a potential means to promote rural culture and traditions. We examine how the visualization of the destination landscape affects consumer preferences for apitourism activities, specifically focusing on the impact of presentation format on willingness to pay (WTP). A Hypothetical Discrete Choice Experiment (HDCE) was conducted, utilizing images (pictures) and video formats (2D and 3D) to represent the destination landscape with varying levels of immersion. Participants expressed preferences for different apitourism activities (museum visits, hiking tours, tasting experiences, beekeeping, and wellness activities). Participants consistently preferred museum visits, hiking tours, and tasting experiences across all presentation formats. Beekeeping and wellness activities were less popular choices. WTP estimates differed significantly depending on exposure to landscape images and the specific presentation format. Notably, the study suggests a potential link between exposure to video 3D representations and increased WTP for apitourism activities. However, further research is needed to confirm this association definitively. This study sheds light on tourist preferences for apitourism activities and highlights the importance of connecting traditional food experiences with local landscapes. This approach can strengthen rural tourism initiatives and promote sustainable rural development.
dc.description.peerreviewed	No
dc.description.sponsorship	This publication is part of the Project (R+D PLATEA FITE 2018 - A.13). “FITEMIEL_II Recuperar la miel para recuperar el territorio: análisis melisopalinológicos, análisis del potencial de mercado y apiturismo”. Funding: This work was supported by Predoctoral Contract Grant Program of the Spanish State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation 2017-2020 [MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033]; and the “ESF Investing in your future”. El potencial de mercado de nuevos productos bioturísticos como estrategia de desarrollo rural integrado en Aragón”.
dc.identifier.citation	Uldemolins, P., de-Magistris, T., & Maza, M. T. (2025). How promotional formats affect consumer preferences for apitourism experiences in rural areas. Journal of Rural Studies, 119, 103784. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103784
dc.identifier.doi	10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103784
dc.identifier.issn	0743-0167
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/10532/7731
dc.language.iso	en
dc.publisher	Elsevier
dc.relation	info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/Gobierno de Aragón/Fondo de Inversiones de Teruel (FITE)//ES/Recuperar la miel para recuperar el territorio/FITEMIEL2
dc.relation.cita	Si
dc.rights	Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Spain	en
dc.rights.uri	http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/es/
dc.subject.agrovoc	Agroturismo
dc.subject.agrovoc	Apicultura
dc.subject.agrovoc	Desarrollo rural
dc.subject.agrovoc	Comportamiento del consumidor
dc.subject.agrovoc	Miel
dc.subject.agrovoc	Paisaje
dc.subject.sdg	Producción y consumo responsables
dc.subject.sdg	Trabajo decente y crecimiento económico
dc.subject.sdg	Ciudades y comunidades sostenibles
dc.title	How promotional formats affect consumer preferences for apitourism experiences in rural areas
dc.type	texto
dc.type	artículo preliminar
dc.type.hasVersion	versión original del autor