Vısıtıng lecturer
Universidad de leon
aroa costa feıto
Dr. Aroa Costa-Feito is an assistant professor and researcher at the University of León (Spain), specializing in consumer neuroscience, with a particular focus on the tourism industry and behavioural change for biodiversity conservation. Her research employs advanced neurophysiological tools, including eye-tracking, electroencephalography (EEG), and galvanic skin response (GSR), to analyse consumer behaviour and its impact on decision-making processes. Currently, she is actively involvement in several European projects, focusing on the practical application of scientific knowledge to generate a meaningful impact. She is an active member of the Society for Conservation Biology (Conservation Marketing group), the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and the Spanish Marketing Association (AEMARK), aiming to promote behavioural change for biodiversity conservation.
The topic of the visiting lecture was “Nature or City? A Neuroscientific Perspective on Emotion, Cognition, and Personality in Destination Marketing” on March 20th, 2025. This workshop will present two consumer neuroscience studies applied to tourism marketing: one focusing on a nature-based destination (Australia) and the other on an urban destination (New York). The session will explore how both conscious and non-conscious responses – such as emotional impact, specific emotions, attention, and memory – towards promotional destination spots influence tourists’ travel intentions and decision-making. Additionally, the workshop will examine the role of individual personality traits in shaping emotional responses and visual attention patterns. Finally, practical implications for tourism businesses and destinations will be discussed, providing key insights on how to structure tourism promotional videos to maximize their effectiveness.
workshop learnıng outcomes
• Understand the impact of consumer neuroscience in tourism marketing.
• Identify the role of personality in emotional and visual responses.
• Apply practical insights to tourism promotion strategies.
