Tourist motivations in a heritage destination in Spain

The inscription of an area as World Heritage Site (WHS) is of utmost significance to preserve the historical and artistic heritage and at the same time, to encourage visits to the site. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the study of the relationship between WHS and tourism by presenting the results of a research conducted in the city of Cordoba (Spain) which analyses the socio-demographic profile and motivations of tourists who visit this City, differentiating between domestic and foreign tourists. The main results of the research show the important educational level of respondent tourists, the significant number of countries of origin, the high motivation to learn about the heritage roots of the city, the importance of gastronomy as a part of its cultural identity and the high satisfaction of tourists. As a point of improvement, the results show the low level of overnight stays in the city.