Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo’s effect on national reputation, pride and tourism in continental Portugal and on the Island of Madeira

Abstract

In the global economy, the tourism industry is an important constituent of economic growth and employment and its signicance is still on the rise. A competitive marketplace urges destinations to provide distinct and unique experiences while managing scarce resources. One way to approach the discussion on tourist destination attractiveness is to consider the impact of a superstar strongly associated with the destination. We conducted a quantitative study evaluating perceptions of the eect of Cristiano Ronaldo on tourism in continental Portugal and on the Island of Madeira. A survey was distributed online using social media. Results indicate that from the viewpoint of the respondents of the study (N=111) Cristiano Ronaldo positively aects the reputation of Portugal abroad and brings more tourists to Portugal and to the Island of Madeira. No association was found between the respondents' gender and their pride in being Portuguese because of Cristiano. Similarly, no association was found between the respondents' age and the main characteristic seen in Cristiano Ronaldo. However, a statistically signicant association was found between gender and the main characteristic seen in Cristiano Ronaldo female respondents tend to associate Cristiano to kindness and family values, whereas male respondents tend to associate Cristiano to spirit of sacrice.