Identity of the city of Matanzas as an urban tourist destination

Abstract

The present study aims to evaluate the identity of the city in order to contribute to the development of strategies and action plans aimed at improving its image and positioning as a tourist destination. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining qualitative and quantitative methods, including interviews and personal surveys. These were applied to local stakeholders involved in tourism and heritage, using a non-probability sampling method based on expert judgment, and a structured questionnaire built around attributes and indicators of urban identity as a tourist destination. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS software. The study identified eight attributes and 54 key indicators for evaluating the urban identity of Matanzas as a case study. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the results. Respondents highlighted the bridges, rivers, and the bay as the city’s main identity features. Although most attributes were considered highly important, the current state of the city was predominantly rated as negative or neutral, particularly in political, social, economic, and urban morphology aspects. The affective component of the identity showed neither a clearly defined nor positive characterization. These findings point to the need to strengthen distinctive attributes and indicators through urban marketing straegies, that is, to implement actions aimed at recovering and enhancing the city’s positive identity in order to improve its positioning in relevant tourism markets.