Towards transformative tourism in Castille & Leon: Research and Application of Inspiring Narratives and Digital Storytelling for the Promotion of Destinations and Experiences (Project)

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Towards transformative tourism in Castille & Leon: Research and Application of Inspiring Narratives and Digital Storytelling for the Promotion of Destinations and Experiences

The ultimate aim of the project is to research and develop innovative and empirically validated models of narrative persuasion and digital storytelling in the context of heritage tourism in Castilla y León, with the aim of maximising the impact of inspirational narratives in generating self-transcendent emotions, narrative transportation, identification with the protagonist, and psychological insight and, consequently, in fostering visit intention and promoting transformative tourism in the region.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

1. 1. Diagnose the current tourism digital storytelling ecosystem in Castilla y León. Conduct an in-depth analysis of the digital narrative communication strategies and content (audiovisual and textual) currently employed by public bodies and private entities in Castilla y León to promote their cultural, natural, gastronomic, and language tourism offerings, identifying the predominant narrative elements and their implicit potential to induce self-transcendent emotions, narrative transportation, identification, and psychological insight.
   2. Characterise potential tourists to Castilla y León from a psychological and motivational perspective. Identify the latent motivations and expectations regarding narrative experiences among different types of tourists interested in heritage destinations, as well as their preferred digital information sources. Understand how these expectations are linked to the desire to experience awe, elevation, narrative transportation, identification, and psychological insight through narratives, both those generated by organisations and those created by other tourists.
   3. Design and develop empirically grounded prototypes of inspirational narratives. Develop and test prototypes of digital tourism narratives (audiovisual, including examples produced by organisations and simulations of user-generated content) that, based on the literature on Inspirational Media (Oliver et al., 2021), deliberately incorporate structural and content elements to maximise the induction of awe and elevation, narrative transportation, identification with the protagonist, and psychological insight. Ensure that these prototypes are adapted to the characteristics and transformative potential of heritage tourism in Castilla y León.
   4. Empirically assess the impact of inspirational narratives on audience psychological and behavioural responses. Accurately measure (using validated scales) the effect of the narratives designed (Specific Objective 3) on key psychological variables: awe, elevation, narrative transportation, identification with the protagonist, and psychological insight. Quantify the influence of these psychological responses on key attitudinal and behavioural outcomes, such as destination visit intention, recommendation intention, the formation of positive attitudes towards the Castilla y León brand, and loyalty, thereby validating the proposed transformative tourism model.
   5. Develop tools and transfer knowledge to optimise tourism digital storytelling in Castilla y León. Develop a framework of best practices and detailed guidelines for tourism promotion stakeholders in Castilla y León, based on empirical findings on how digital storytelling can generate awe, elevation, narrative transportation, identification, and psychological insight. Propose a prototype digital application or platform to facilitate the creation and dissemination of these inspirational narratives, thereby optimising communication strategies for more experiential and transformative tourism in the region. Design and deliver training and outreach sessions aimed at tourism professionals in Castilla y León on the practical application of these principles.

METHODOLOGY AND APPROACH

• WP1: Diagnosis of Narrative Tourism Communication in Castilla y León

• Work package leader and collaborating members: Valeriano Piñeiro Naval, María Marcos Ramos, and Beatriz González de Garay Domínguez.
• Objective: To analyse how public bodies and private entities in Castilla y León communicate their tourism offerings (cultural, gastronomic, natural, and language-related) through narratives.
• Methodology: Content analysis. A comprehensive analysis will be conducted of official websites (the Regional Government of Castilla y León, provincial tourism bodies, city councils of key cities, and tourism consortia), social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), and online promotional platforms operated by relevant private entities (hotels, rural accommodation establishments, and experiential tourism agencies).

• WP2: Characterisation of Tourists to Castilla y León and Their Interaction with Digital Narratives

• Work package leader and collaborating members: Carlos Arcila Calderón, Patricia Sánchez Holgado, and Juan José Igartua Perosanz.
• Objective: To understand tourists’ motivations, information sources, and expectations, and to assess the potential of digital narratives to influence their behaviour.
• Methodology: Online survey. An online survey will be designed and administered to a representative sample of tourists who have visited Castilla y León within the last 24 months. Respondents will be recruited through a professional external panel (Qualtrics Panels) to ensure diversity and representativeness.

• WP3: Experimentation on the Impact of Inspirational Narratives on Tourism in Castilla y León

• Work package leader and collaborating members: Juan José Igartua Perosanz, Isabel Rodríguez de Dios, Magdalena Wojcieszak, and Pablo Calvo de Castro.
• Objective: To empirically test the effectiveness of different types of inspirational narratives (tourist-generated vs. institutional) and their impact on psychological variables (awe, elevation, narrative transportation, identification with the protagonist, and psychological insight) and behavioural variables (visit intention and recommendation intention).
• Methodology: Online experimental research (online randomized experiment). Two online experiments with factorial designs will be conducted, using participant panels recruited through Qualtrics Panels. Key variables (such as participants’ geographical origin) will be controlled to ensure the external validity of the study.

• WP4: Training and Knowledge Transfer for Tourism Promotion Stakeholders

• Work package leader and collaborating members: Patricia Sánchez Holgado, Teresa Martín García, and Félix Ortega Mohedano.
• Objective: To transfer the knowledge generated to key stakeholders in the tourism sector in Castilla y León and develop practical tools for implementing digital storytelling strategies.
• Methodology: 1) Design of training content: Development of materials (presentations, guides, and practical case studies) based on the results of WP1, WP2, and WP3. 2) Training workshops: Delivery of face-to-face and/or online training sessions aimed at tourism professionals (marketing managers, destination managers, hoteliers, guides, and rural entrepreneurs). 3) Mobile application prototype: Development of a basic mobile application prototype for tourism digital storytelling, incorporating the best practices identified in WP3 and serving as a functional example and learning tool. 4) Recommendation reports: Preparation of documents containing strategic recommendations for the Regional Government of Castilla y León (JCYL), tourism bodies, and private entities.
• Expected outcomes: Tourism stakeholders trained in digital storytelling, best-practice guidelines, and a prototype digital tool for tourism promotion.

Project financed by the Consejería de Educación de la Junta de Castilla y León in collaboration with the EU in the frame of the “Convocatoria de subvenciones del programa de apoyo a proyectos de investigación en ciencia aplicada, cofinanciadas por el Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional”. Project code: SA087P25