Thesis publication

The link to my thesis at the university's library:

oaithesis.eur.nl/ir/repub/asset/9210/Pontos,%20A.%20(332182).doc

Thesis defense

Some photos of my master thesis defense at the Erasmus University. Thank you all for this great experience.

Master Thesis handed in

After more than a year of research and writing, my thesis was finalised and handed in. The defence will be next month. Then, the final report of the findings will be posted here and sent to everybody that helped with the survey design and the actual implementation.  Below, you can find the cover page and the acknowledgements. 

Just some words are not enough to express my gratitude on the support I received throughout this research. My supervisor ------- with her continuous encouragement and guidance, a thousand and thirteen respondents, twelve international tourism academics and researchers that refined the study topics, my fellow students and professors that helped me with the questionnaire translations, my family and my friends. Without their valuable assistance, this research would never come true. To show my homage, this work is kindly dedicated to them.

Angelos S. Pontos

The report of the main findings

Here is the link to the report that summarizes the 10 European cities' tourism preferences:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11216389/Report.pdf
Enjoy..

Brussels 14,15/09

Brussels is the last city to be researched. I needed two days in that beautiful city to collect more than 100 questionnaires. The response rate was around 0,69. It is remarkable that 59% of the respondents have spent or have planned to spend their holidays in France at least once this year.
The survey took place at: 
Koningstraat, Parc de Bruxelles, Magdalenasteenweg, Montagne Bergstraat, Grasmarrkt, Beurs, Hogeschool University Brussels and Nieuwstraat.

The final results, for all the cities surveyed, will be posted next week.


Je vous remercie pour votre participation
Dank u wel voor uw deelname

Some interesting charts: The environmental considerations by city

After the completion of the surveys in 9 cities and before visiting Brussels for the same 

study, it is time to make an early analysis of the findings.

Question 6

When choosing your holiday destination, are you considerate of environmental issues and, for that reason, do you choose eco-friendly destinations (e.g. destinations with eco-labels or with minimized impact of tourism on the local environment)?

- Yes, environmental considerations already have and will have an impact on my holiday destination choice

- Yes, I will consider environmental issues in the future, but I did not consider them yet

- No, environmental considerations do not and will not impact my holiday destination choice

- No answer

- I have no knowledge of this topic

- I never go on holiday

- I am not aware of the level of environmental protection at my holiday destinations

Environmental considerations seems to be the topic with the largest differences across the cities. People in the European North (the Netherlands, Belgium) either do not care about the eco-labels and the environmental impact in the destinations they visit on holidays (low in answer 1) or they are not aware of this topic (high in answer 4). It is optimistic that there is a handful of respondents saying they will consider it in the future.

On the other hand, the European South (Iberia, the Balkans) seems to be more considerate about the environmental issues with answer 1 being highly chosen. It is also noticeable that Portuguese respondents highly choose answer 6 (never go on holidays).

Response rates

Here are the surveys' response rates for some of the cities already visited.

MADRID 0,70

BARCELONA 0,74
LISBON 0,69

PORTO 0,75

ATHENS 0,68

THESSALONIKI 0,64

This means that Porto seems to be the most research-friendly city. Although this is half-truth, we have to trust the numbers..

The rest of the response rates for Holland and Belgium will be posted after the completion of the survey in Brussels.

Athens 29,30/07 and 4,5,6/08

Back to my hometown after a long period of travelling.

The city is familiar and there is no reason to hurry up.
The survey was conducted in five weekdays in order to record a wide range of the public preferences.
Syntagma Square and the Ermou shopping street were visited in the centre.
Agia Paraskevi and Halandri were chosen among the northern suburbs and the University of Piraeus was the final stop.
More than 100 questionnaires were filled in and the response rate was 0,68.


Ευχαριστώ πολύ για τη συμμετοχή σας

Thessaloniki 2,3/8

Thessaloniki, the centre of ancient Macedonia, was the city before the last one.
The famous trigono and bugatsa candies were tasted.
Two days were enough to complete the investigation there.
Aristotelous, Tsimiski, Egnatia, Nikis and Mitropoleos streets as well as Lefkos Pyrgos Square were visited.
More than 100 questionnaires were filled in and the response rate was 0,64.
Thessaloniki citizens seem to choose Greece and other Balkan countries to spend their holidays.


Ευχαριστώ πολύ για τη συμμετοχή σας.

A review of the surveys in Spain and Portugal

Sixteen days in Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon and, finally, Porto. More than 400 questionnaires were totally filled in . Interesting experiences were gained in all of them. Initially, it looked like a dream, but at the end it came true, mainly because of you, all the participants that accepted spending five minutes to provide some useful for my thesis information.

And for the statistics maniacs:

4 different airlines were used

Around 50 kilometres were walked

1250 km were covered with the trains

3 universities were visited

Around 600 men and women were approached

More than 400 of them finally filled in one questionnaire each

The places visited in alphabetic order:

Casilhas metro and train stations (Porto)

Casilhas (Lisbon)

Central shooping streets (Barcelona)

Central shoping streets (Lisbon)

Central shopping streets (Madrid)

Central shopping streets (Porto)

Dragao shopping mall (Porto)

Economics University (Lisbon)

Gracia (Barcelona)

IADE University (Lisbon)

Parc de la Ciutadela (Barcelona)

Parque da cidade (Porto)

Parque del Retiro (Madrid)

Passeig de Gracia (Barcelona)

Plaza del Sol (Madrid)

Plaza Mayor (Madrid)

Pompeu Fabra University (Barcelona)

Santa Apolonia train Station (Lisbon)

Tribunal metro station (Madrid)

Trinidad metro station (Porto)

UP Institute of Sciences (Porto)

Porto 24,25/07

Last days in Porto. It was really hard to find Portuguese in the weekend. So, the central part of the beach and some parks were visited. Fortunately, the research in Iberia is done and I will be back to Greece after a long time for the same surveys.

Muito obrigado pela vossa ajuda

Porto 22,23/07

Lisbon 18-21/07

Although Lisbon is one of the smallest cities from the ones visited so far, its citizens were very responsive. Once again, 100 questionnaires were filled in and the response rate was around 0.65.

The streets around the city centre, the Santa Apolonia train Station, the IADE and the Economics Universities as well as the Casilhas region were visited.

So far, Lisbon citizens seem to be the most domestic oriented regarding the destination choice.

Muito obrigado pela vossa ajuda

Barcelona 14-17/07

Four days in Barcelona and more than 100 questionnaires were filled in by its citizens.

The shooping streets around the centre, Passeig de Gracia, Gracia, the Parc de la Ciutadela and the Pompeu Fabra University were visited between others.

The people there seemed very friendly, mainly visiting domestic destinations and having a high environmental consciousness.

Next stop Lisbon with the promise to return some day to this wonderful city.

Muchas gracias por sus ayuda.