Exploring Intercultural Competence Among Tourists in Urban Destinations: Insights for Effective Marketing
(A2026-133711)

AUTHORS

EVANGELIA RAPTI, University of Piraeus; GEORGIA ZOUNI, University of Piraeus/University of Piraeus; DIMITRA MARGIETA LYKOUDI, UNIVERSITY OF PIRAEUS

ABSTRACT

Urban destinations host multicultural visitors and intense intercultural engagements. Intercultural Competence (IC), that supports smoother intercultural relationships, has been mainly examined from the service providers’ perspective, not emphasising tourists’ IC skills, especially within urban environments. This study fills this gap by developing and validating multidimensional models to assess tourists’ IC in urban destinations utilising CFA. Findings reveal that tourists’ IC is structured around 3 main dimensions (Cultural Awareness, Cultural Adaptation, Cultural Integration) forming a progressive continuum from foundational awareness to behavioural adjustment and finally to holistic integration. The research constitutes a contribution to the fields of Tourism Marketing and Intercultural Communication, seeing tourists as active participants in intercultural exchange with urban destination stakeholders, offering a framework for assessing IC within current multicultural settings.