As a part of the comprehensive redefinition strategy of Sitges’ Online presence, Sitges Town Hall’s Department of Tourism carried out a study of the town’s reputation among tourists, developed in collaboration with the Vivential Value company, specialized in tourism intelligence.

The study makes it possible to know the beach most recommended by users, how French tourists value the museums, which accommodation category receives the best score for comfort, or how the reputation of the town’s restaurants is evolving, among other issues related to its tourism image.

The study makes it possible to know the beach most recommended by users, how French tourists value the museums, which accommodation category receives the best score for comfort, or how the reputation of the town’s restaurants is evolving, among other issues related to its tourism image.

The main conclusions of the new knowledge system indicate that the "iRON" Online reputation index for the entire tourist experience in Sitges obtained an 8.35 out of 10 in 2018, improving the rating of 8.24 in 2017. This is considered a high score given that in other similar studies in other coastal destinations using the same work methodology, they have a lower score.

According to the acting Councilor for Economic Promotion, Tourism and Beaches, Aurora Carbonell, "with this project to analyze the tourist image and reputation online, we are responding to three priority objectives: to analyze the Sitges experience from the visitor's point of view, strengthen the destination’s tourist intelligence system, and generate knowledge of value that can be transferred to the sector to take advantage of opportunities for improvement."

The conclusions are obtained through more than 105,000 user opinions shared online during the years 2017 and 2018, in relation to more than 950 of the town’s accommodations, restaurants and attractions.

Regarding accommodations as a whole, the iRON reaches a score of 8.27; the restaurants receive an added value of 8.12. In the case of tourist attractions, they obtain an evaluation of 8.62 and reach almost 2 out of 10 opinions of the study’s total. Some of the most outstanding according to their high score are iconic resources such as the Paseo Marítimo promenade, the San Bartolomé and Santa Tecla Church, San Sebastián Beach and Aiguadolç Marina, and cultural resources like the Maricel Museum or the Cau Ferrat Museum, all with an online reputation index between 8.72 and 8.99.

Regarding the themes of Sitges’ tourist attractions, the beaches received 48% of the new opinions issued by their visitors, contrasting with a more discreet volume of opinions regarding trade, events, gastronomic activities or nightlife. Tourists who travel as a couple are the segment who generate the highest volume of opinions regarding their experience in Sitges and they are also the ones that give one of the best scores. The comparison by issue markets indicates the existence of evaluation differences between foreign and national tourists, with an iRON of 8.39 and 8.13 respectively.

With this study, the Department of Tourism will be able to work in a segmented manner on questions related to issue markets, products or areas of town, among others, and allows them to move from the big date online to smart data for improvement in making decisions and the destination’s competitiveness".

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

About "Sitges 2018 Online Tourism Reputation Monitor"

Sample: more than 105,311 opinions of online tourists shared on tourism platforms, relating to more than 950 accommodations, restaurants and tourist attractions in Sitges have been analyzed.

Period analyzed: January 2017 - December 2018