Tourist experiences of urban historic areas: Valletta as a case study

Valletta's historic urban landscape offers diverse and layered experiences that significantly enrich the tourist experience. The study reveals that commonplace elements, when combined with meaningful visual aspects, create interactive and engaging encounters for visitors. First-time tourists often experience stronger emotional responses due to novelty, while repeat visitors benefit from deeper social interactions with locals. The research also highlights a blurring of boundaries between tourists and locals as both engage similarly with the city's spaces. This finding challenges traditional urban design models by emphasizing the tourist's active role in shaping their experience through self-interaction, social engagement, and sensory exploration.

Ebejer, J. (2015). Tourist experiences of urban historic areas: Valletta as a case study. University of Westminster. https://doi.org/10.34737/970W8