| Resumo: | The purpose of this study is to analyse the influence of the spa as a decision factor in the rural tourism accommodation choice. A survey was administered on a final sample of 342 respondents that attended a rural tourism site at least once in their lives. The results revealed that older tourists usually travel with their partner and family while younger tourists usually travel with their friends. When travelling with their family, tourists are looking to spend time with them. On the other hand, findings also reveal that when travelling without children, “escape from daily routine”, “nature” and “new experiences” and “peace and quiet” are the main motivations for tourists. A cluster analysis revealed distinct groups based on their spa preferences and most valued accommodation features, resulting in the “Low Spa Preferences and Features” and the “High Spa Preferences and Features” segments. This second segment is looking for a full experience including: activities, quality and design features and relaxing at the spa. It was concluded that for this tourist-segment, the spa is a decisive factor for the accommodation choice. In order to further develop and detailed understanding of this tourist profile, future research should focus on in-depth one-to-one interviews.
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