An exploration of determinants of tourist experience in the Albergo Diffuso. An Italian case study

Tourism and culture management (SIMA)

An exploration of determinants of tourist experience in the Albergo Diffuso. An Italian case study

Cristiana Compagno, Michela C. Mason, Francesco Raggiotto

The Albergo Diffuso (AD) is a typically Italian form of hospitality (Confalonieri, 2011; Paniccia and Leoni, 2017), differing with most of the traditional tourist and holiday accommodation formats like hotels, residences, and B&Bs. AD gathers a number of different businesses related to tourist accommodation (e.g., lodging, dining, entertainment), bonded to each other by a certain degree of operational integration (i.e., they are part of the same accommodation structure) and denoted by physical dispersion (Confalonieri 2011). Typically, Albergo Diffuso is located in small rural areas, like small towns and villages, characterized by a significant cultural and/or historical heritage (Presenza et al., 2019). In a few words, the basic concept of the AD is that, “rooms, decorated in a consistently authentic and local style, are scattered throughout different buildings within the town but overseen by one manager” (Williams, 2010).

#Albergo diffuso #tourism #tourist experience