Fostering the Economic Tourist Activity of Small Cities by Managing Retail Town Centre Image

Abstract

This research aims to examine the relationship between the town centre retail and the town image. We study the influence the retail activity of a town centre may have on the town image. Particularly, we analyze the factors influencing town centre retail dynamics, how these factors relate to each other and how their variation can influence the image of the town centre. A theoretical model is proposed and tested through a case study applied to the Portuguese town of Viana do Castelo.