@misc{10481/74124,
year = {2022},
month = {2},
url = {http://hdl.handle.net/10481/74124},
abstract = {Spa tourism has undergone important changes in recent decades, actively embracing
wellness and wellbeing. However, this transition is taking place in different ways in Europe, and
this has led to varying perceptions of thermalism that have little to do with its original conception.
The main aim of this study was to analyse current perceptions of spa tourism amongst university
students, so as to identify profiles and compare the differences between two study cases: Granada
(Spain) and Aachen (Germany). For this purpose, we applied a methodology that combines artificial
intelligence techniques with questionnaires containing both quantitative and qualitative variables.
This enabled us to identify and characterize a series of profiles, so as to acquire detailed knowledge
of the perceptions of these students regarding spa tourism in Granada and Aachen. On the basis
of the results, the interviewees were grouped together into seven profiles from which we deduced
that young Germans from Aachen visit spas more frequently and have a more realistic perception
of the thermal sector than young Spanish people from Granada. This situation could limit present
and future demand for spas in southern Spain. With this in mind, in this paper we present an
updated assessment of the demand for spas amongst university students, in order to design effective
geomarketing strategies in two cities with long spa traditions.},
organization = {Research Group "Socio-space dynamics territory planning in Andalusia", University of Granada	HUM355},
publisher = {MDPI},
keywords = {Spa tourism},
keywords = {University students},
keywords = {Young people},
keywords = {User segmentation},
keywords = {Self-Organizing Maps},
keywords = {Europe},
title = {Perceptions and Profiles of Young People Regarding Spa Tourism: A Comparative Study of Students from Granada and Aachen Universities},
doi = {10.3390/ijerph19052580},
author = {Pinos Navarrete, Aida and Abarca Álvarez, Francisco Javier and Maroto Martos, Juan Carlos},
}