Satisfying experiences: guided tours at cultural heritage sites

Cultural heritage has become a primary means for attracting visitors to cities, and a source of revenue through the design of guided tours that offer satisfying experiences at heritage sites. The aim of this study is to analyse participation, hedonism, knowledge, local culture and nostalgia as determinants of these experiences. A sample of 568 international tourists responded to a survey after taking a guided tour of Barcelona City Hall (Spain) and the data was used to test the proposed guided experience model by means of structural equation modelling. Results suggest the need to design guided tours with strong doses of active participation and local culture.