Image of Douro Wine Region through social networks - Visitor Perception

Social networks are a source of information, content sharing and experiences, by the various users, and can condition the image created of a destination, favorably or not. The Douro Wine Region, World Heritage since 2001, presents itself as a tourist destination par excellence, for its various attractions. The main objective of the study was to analyze the image that tourists create, through social networks, of the Douro as a tourist destination. Thus, two methodologies were applied - qualitative and quantitative. In a first approach, a qualitative analysis was made to social networks related to the Alto Douro Wine Region and, in a second phase, a questionnaire was applied to tourists who visited this region. The results showed that the image of the region under study is formed by three main dimensions: the Douro River, the Vineyards, and Porto wine. This information allows the main players operating in this region to promote the region, considering the experiences created and lived in these three dimensions.