Does the access transport mode affect visitors' satisfaction in a World Heritage City? The case of Valparaiso, Chile

Abstract

The inscription of a city as a World Heritage Site (WHS) acts as a catalyst for the tourist promotion. The brand creates a previous positive image of the city generating some tourists' expectations that might be difficult to fulfil. The aim of this paper is to shed some light on how different transport modes -private car, rental cars, train, bus and other transport modes- could mediate on the satisfaction construct. The methodology is based on a fuzzy hybrid multi-criteria method. Our results show that rental cars visitors experience the minimum satisfaction in comparison with those who visit the city by bus who are the most satisfied. The findings can be strategically used by Valparaiso authorities and destination marketing managers to promote Valparaíso as a green destination WHS.