Sunny, Windy, Muddy and Salty Creative Tourism Experience in a Salt Pan

Abstract

Algarve (Portugal) is a well known region by its exclusive rocky beaches. A mild weather and the availability of over 3,000 sunny hours/year are important factors a tourist should consider when making travel decisions. The present study investigates when the tourist is challenged to discover not the beaches, but the region’s less known protected areas in the tidal marsh and its traditional human activities. A case study research is presented based on creative tourism experiences in the traditional activity of salt production, where the visitor can go beyond a simple visit to the site. Key findings from this research show the involvement of all parties in the production of the creative experience, the enthusiasm and willingness to co-create it, despite awareness of the need to balance visitors’ skills with the experiential proposal. In the whole, results provide insightful information useful to the diversified stakeholders involved in creative tourism and the sustainability of activities embedded in specific territories.