Factors that affect the perception of a tourist resource’s value: the case of the Caminito del Rey

This study’s primary objective was to analyse the factors influencing overall customer satisfaction with tourism resources by applying two similar techniques with different approaches. A survey was conducted between June and December 2017, producing a total of 171 valid forms. Importance performance analysis (IPA) and asymmetric impact-performance analysis (AIPA) were used to process the data. The results suggest that El Caminito managers give low priority to generating tourist information about and satisfaction with this resource’s features. In addition, managers need to concentrate on improving signposting. IPA highlighted that the environment’s assessment is an overexploited factor, but AIPA suggested that this factor can still contribute to shaping customer satisfaction. The AIPA’s results also show that environmental cleanliness and El Caminito’s regular cleaning are fundamental factors in visitors’ high general satisfaction. This study’s systematic use of these analytical tools facilitated the identification of factors that add to or reduce the value of tourism resources, thereby helping to improve these resources’ quality and sustainability. The findings’ application could ultimately enhance this destination’s competitiveness and its overall success.