XXVII REUNION DE ESTUDIOS REGIONALESMadrid 28 – 30 November 2001

Ana Paula Figueira

I - TOURISM, TOURISM PLANNING AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT1.1. Tourism – its importance worldwide and in Portugal

At the start of a new millennium, the tourism industry is increasingly

important. According to the temporary data made available by the World

Organisation of Tourism (OMT), the Arrival of Tourists in the world, in the year

2000, was set in 698 million people, having recorded a 7,4% increase when

compared to 1999 (649,9 million people. This growth appears to be justified by

a steady world economy and by the impact of the world-wide celebrations of the

start of a new millennium. There was also a growth of the revenues world-wide,

reaching 476 billion dollars – a 4,5% growth was recorded, compared to 1999.

Europe, on its turn, witnessed a significant growth in the number of the Arrival of

Tourists compared to 1999 – there was a 6,2% increase – and it counted on

58% of International Tourism. The 2000 World Exhibition in Germany, the

Celebrations of the Jubilee in the Vatican, the recovery of Eastern Europe after

the Kosovo War, as well as the recovery of Turkey after a long period of decline

caused by different instabilities certainly played an important role in this

situation. Generally speaking, all the regions in the world went through a period

of growth as far as the Arrival of Tourists is concerned. Yet, those with a more

remarkable growth were Eastern Asia/Pacific (14,5%) and the Middle East

(10,5%). Portugal was in the 16th place as a world destination, registering 12

million international tourists, which implies a 3,45% growth when compared to

1999.The revenues from tourism in Portugal have been undergoing some

growth over the last years, becoming steady at the level of 5,1 million dollars in

1999, which represents an yearly average growth of 6,3% between 1994 and

1999. In the frame of the Portuguese economy, the sector of services and

tourism in particular, is extremely important. The national economic structure,

impelled by the community’s structural funds as well as by the joint efforts in the

promotion of quality, design and diversification, has undergone an evolution

similar to that of other European countries, becoming more dependent on the

sector of services. According to the 1998 values, supplied by the National

Institute of Statistics (INE), in Portugal, the sector of services represents 52% of

the active population and 63% of the Gross Value-Added (GVA), unlike the

farming sector that absorbs 13% of employment and which only contributes with

3% for the GVA. Tourism is one of the most important economic sub-sectors

whose revenues in cash, during the same period, represents about 5% of the

Gross Domestic Product (GDP), employing 5% of the active population and it

contributes heavily for the Balance of Payments.

1.2. Tourism planningNowadays, tourism has undeniably acquired an important place

internationally. Gunn (1988, quoted by Moniz, 1996) states that it was long

believed that it would be possible to benefit from the positive impacts of tourism,

by setting some strategies whose main core would be a strong promotion,

together with a very slow development and, thus, not inflating the economical,

social and environmental costs. However, since that wasn’t a very suitable point

of view, several authors point out the positive as well as the negative aspects of

the practice of tourism and, at the same time, they suggest planning as a way of

causing the positive aspects to minimise the negative ones. Gunn identifies two

kinds of problems that will be faced by those whose aim is making the most of

the benefits of tourism: the first one has to do with things that may be solved

through a better planning; the second one underlies the very tourism

development and it should thus be accepted. From this perspective of the

justification of planning, Inskeep (1988, quoted by Moniz, 1996) briefly presents

the impact of tourism, stressing the fact that, in order to enhance the positive

effects, the authorities should be involved in the tourism planning and

development. Besides, the tourism development should be carefully controlled.

Therefore, and according to this author, tourism promotes the interaction

between visitors and those who are visited, which results in smaller or larger

social and cultural impacts, according to the degree of the differences between

the cultural patterns and to the social and economical characteristic in contact.

As examples of positive effects, Inskeep refers the conservation of the historical

and cultural heritage, revitalisation of the pride in the local culture as well as the

exchange among different cultures. On the other hand, as an example of

negative effects, he points out: the congestion in the tourism attractions,

transport, commerce and local infrastructures, which may cause some grudges

on the receiving community; excessive commercialisation and the subsequent

loss of identity of traditional practices, objects of art and handicraft; the

“demonstration effect” on the residents, specially on the younger people, who

wish to imitate the behaviour and the patterns of life of tourists; affecting some

beaches and other areas solely for tourism use; the misunderstandings and

conflicts between the residents and the visitors because of differences in the

language, practices and values; the exacerbation of problems with drugs, crime

and prostitution, as well as the violation of the codes of local conduct. As far as

the economical benefits of tourism are concerned, the author mentions the

increase of infrastructures and equipments, from which the residents may

benefit, the growth of governmental revenues and the subsequent development

of other sectors of the economy. But tourism may also cause negative

economic effects, such as an increase of imports, the ownership and

management of tourism services and equipments by non-residents, economical

distortions caused by the geographical affection of tourism, by the agrarian

speculation and also by the pressure on the prices for selling the local services

and goods. Tomás (1990, quoted by Moniz, 1996) points out that the basic

justification for the negative effects of tourism is much more closely connected

to the fact that there isn’t any careful planning than to the nature of tourism

itself. According to Mill and Morrison (1985, Burns and Holden, 1995), the

consequences of an unsuitable planning may be grouped into five sets of

impacts: on the environment; on people; as far as marketing is concerned; as

far as the organisations are concerned and other sorts of impact. Based on the

work of these authors, Moniz (1996) gives some examples of effects on the

environment: damaging or lasting changes on nature; damaging or lasting

changes on historical/cultural landmarks and resources; congestion; pollution

and, also, traffic problems. As far as human impacts are concerned, we may

refer a more difficult access, by the local community, to the tourism equipments

and attractions, thus leading to some bitterness; a dislike for tourists; the loss of

cultural identity; the lack of vocational education and training and of

hospitability, when it comes to the rendering of tourism services; an unsuitable

exploitation, by those from the are of destination, of the benefits of tourism. As

far as marketing is concerned, the failure in taking advantage of the new

marketing opportunities; the erosion of the market quotas due to the actions

taken by the rival destinations; the absence of information/promotion near the

main issuing markets, as well as the lack of a clear positioning by the area of

destination; an inadequate cooperation among the tourism operators as far as

tourism promotion is concerned and, still, the unsuitable taking advantage of the

packaging opportunities. In view of this situation, the entrepreneurial tissue

faces some problems and this leads to a fragmented approach to marketing and

to the development of tourism; the lack of cooperation among the tourism

operators; an inadequate representation of the interests of the tourism industry;

an insufficient support from the local authorities and, finally, the failure in solving

common problems for industry. As an example of other impacts, one may refer

the inadequate signalling; insufficient attractions; a strong seasonal character

and the short length of the stay; weak or deteriorating equipments and services

and, also, precarious or inadequate information. Burns and Holden (1995)

introduce some factors that may determine such an inadequacy as far as

planning is concerned, such as: 1 - flaws caused by imperfections in the

information made available, specially concerning the resources to be involved in

the planning and in the aims set; 2 - technical flaws, caused by the lack of

experience of the technicians involved, namely in what concerns the

quantitative previsions and their assessment in the market; 3 - social flaws

caused by the lack that the local community isn’t given much consideration.

Tomás (1990, quoted by Moniz, 1996) adds that the impacts of tourism are

the result of an interaction of phenomena grouped into two subsets: the first one

involves tourists, the population and the destination area; the second one

involves tourists and the decision processes. In the first situation, the author

thinks that, according to the burden hold of the economical, social and

environmental subsystems of the area of destination, one may consider positive

the effects that do not exceed the limits of toleration of the burden hold of each

of the previously mentioned subsystems and that, on the other hand, one may

consider negative all the effects that may exceed those limits. As far as the

second situation is concerned, he stresses that the effects of tourism vary

according to the tourists’ decisions, namely on what concerns the selected

destinations, the characteristics of the trip and the personal and behavioural

qualities of tourists. Thus, and from the point of view of planning, tourism should

be considered, not in isolation, but rather as an element of the global economic

system, bearing in mind the three elements it is made of: a) a dynamic element

that concerns both the structure and the characteristics of tourism demand, as

well as the forms and the kinds of tourism; b) a static element, concerning the

characteristics of tourism and those of the area of destination and its burden

hold; c) a consequent or consequential element, concerning the impacts of

tourism and which results from the interactions established between the two

previously mentioned elements. These impacts may be economical, physical or

environmental and social. From its adequate assessment will result a diagnosis

and a control of the action whose aim is to supply the guidelines, signalling its

risks and advantages, so as to promote the positive effects and to minimise or

exclude the negative effects of tourism, both in the Economy/Finance, and in

society, culture and in the surroundings of the destination or receiving areas.

Mill and Morisson (1985) and Plog (1973) establish a close relationship

between the concept of planning, made from a strategic point of view, and the

cycle of life of the destination. For Plog, the success of a destination increases

or decreases according to the evolution of the psycho-graphic groups: in the

beginning, innovating people, then, less aggressive and enthusiastic ones and,

finally, the more passive groups. Planning should prevent destinations from

entering a stage of decline. Taking into account the study he carried out on the

United States, Plog mentioned that, according to the sort of tourist one wishes

to attract, the tourism destinations go through different stages in different

periods of their historical development. He establishes a relationship among the

personality profiles of the identified and previously mentioned tourists, the

market that is aimed at and the stage of the cycle of life of the destination. Thus:

Allocentric Market of the innovators Introduction and growth stage

Midcentric Market of the masses Maturity stage

Psychocentric Market of the late-comers Decline stage

Even though Plog suggested that all tourism destinations tend to go into a

stage of decline according to an exaggerated promotion and subsequent

commercialisation, Moniz (1996), just like Mill and Morrison (1985), consider

that the cycle of life of destinations may be extended, as long as it is previously

prepared and as long as everything and everyone involved adapts itself to

change. This will or should be the main function of planning.

1.2.1. Tourism planning: a strategic and integrated approachAccording to the methodology proposed by Michael Porter, Bordas (1994)

believes that strategic planning should consist of a guideline of tourism

development, for both the public and private sector and whose instructions may

be applied to both. Thus, the plans of tourism development should help the

enterprises, no matter how big they are, to identify and develop competitive

advantages. Since tourism is characterised by the fact that it is an atomised

sector, where entrepreneurial fragmentation and small and average size

businesses prevail, the partial vision of many tourism agents may be corrected

through a strategic planning that will make it easier to obtain competitive

advantages for everybody. So, the public administration has decided to actively

intervene in the strategic planning for tourism, so as to make possible a greater

prosperity in the area or in the region and to make the conservation of the

natural, social and cultural resources profitable. Governments have become

increasingly interested in tourism for other reasons too, namely to stop the

negative impact of the crisis other sectors of the economy have been

undergoing and to avoid the desertification of certain areas and places, to

promote the balance between different territories and, also, to complement the

revenues, namely agricultural ones. This way, a strategic planning of tourism is

a tool at the service of a certain region that defines the general conditions for

the balanced development of the territory for a certain amount of time. It is,

thus, a question of structuring the aims and the policies so as to identify the

priorities for the action of the public sector, to overcome the hindrances to the

exploitation of the tourism possibilities and, thus, to develop new business

opportunities. This way, the unrestrained and reactive growth of supply is

avoided. The strategic planning of tourism is the one that determines, in the

long run, the model of development desired for the referred territory by the

inhabitants and the public administrations. This model will make it possible to

reach the best level of competitiveness, and to determine its advantages. It

should also make it possible to obtain both the economical and the social and

environmental profitability, from the sustainability perspective. Strategic

planning assumes two requirements: the first one has to do with sustainability,

that is, the development of tourism shouldn’t question the preservation of the

resources which are, after all, the basis on which the tourism development is

carried out; the second one implies the existence of a consensus – that is, since

there is a strong competition among the different destinations, one should

promote a spirit of association and establish strategic alliances so as to raise

the power of joint synergies. This way, in nowadays’ world, where competition

and competitiveness rule and bearing in mind the importance of the practice of

tourism, only those who plan tourism development in advance and in a suitable

and sensible way will be successful. However, strategically planning the

development of tourism has some difficulties which result, basically, from the

fact that this activity works as a functional system, which gives it some

dynamism as well as some instability, in terms of its balance, the result of the

diversity of agents involved in this process. Whenever its balance is

endangered by one or more of the intervening agents, some adjustments

involving the whole system should be made. When one plans in tourism, one

wishes to reach a more effective positioning in what the making the system

operational is concerned, involving and taking into account both all the

intervenients in the system and all the interactions established among them.

According to Gunn’s point of view (1988, quoted by Moniz, 1996), there are

some difficulties to be able to reach this widely desired “performance”. Such

difficulties result specially from the fact that the dynamics of the system isn’t

always fully understood, thus implying some hindrances to planning. Mill and

Morrison (1995) consider that the difficulties in carrying out this planning in

tourism may be caused by: 1 - adversity to planning, shown by some

entrepreneurs who, not being able to understand its aims, do not value tourism

and who see planning only as a way of “messing” with their activity; 2 - the

steep financial costs inherent to the process of planning and which result from

the detail with which some tasks should be carried out, due to their importance

– such as the analysis of the resources and the studies of the market. The

public authorities are usually the ones who have to bear these costs; 3 - the

industry of tourism is quite complex and diversified, involving public organisms

and some basic problems are raised, such as the identification of the revenues

and expenses in tourism. Gunn (1988) also points to this fact as a difficulty of

planning; 4 - Involvement of a large number of small companies, each one seen

as being part of a specific area of the sector – be it linked to hotels, restaurants,

transports or others – thus leaving behind the wider and more entangling side of

its function in the sector. Gunn (1988) also identifies this situation as an

obstacle to planning in tourism. 5 - Other issues such as its seasonal character

and the high “turnover” of property.

Gunn (1988), on his turn, presents the following reasons as difficulties for

carrying out the planning: a) lack of perception of what the tourism product is,

as often happens, for example, in the area of hotels, where people usually

believe the product are bedrooms, ignoring that the service rendered is closely

connected to promotion, information and to the attractions made available for

the costumer; b) existence of institutional frontiers. Several public organisms

are involved in the tourism activity, even though that was not the reason why

they were created, Since they do not have policies or staff organs with a clear

vocation for tourism, they get lost in bureaucracy, making difficult the functional

integration of tourism; c) excessive fragmentation of private organisations.

There are too many hotels, restaurants, companies of air transportation, travel

agencies, rent-a-car companies, and so on, which makes difficult the agreement

on policies and, therefore, the integration of the system; d) duality of the (local

and visiting) markets. The branches of activity that supply goods and services to

the sector of tourism usually do not operate for visitors alone. It is essential to

attend to both segments of the market in the process of planning, since it isn’t

possible to establish policies only for tourists; e) ideological controversy as far

as the priority to attribute to the issues of development versus the protection of

the resources, which compromises the development of tourism.

However, and according to Mill and Morrison (1985) as Moniz (1996)

stresses out, those difficulties do not prevent us from recognising the value of

planning tourism in the world, as confirmed by the increasingly higher number of

plans developed.

1.2.3. Some models of Tourism PlanningBeing a continual process, as suggested by Gunn, planning is also flexible,

endowed with a dynamics justified by the interaction of many different

intervenients. Therefore, it cannot be seen as a finished or completed product.

On the contrary, it should be the target of constant upgrading and reassessment

according to the changes made, especially of the economical, social, cultural

and environmental surrounding with which it interacts. Thus, nowadays,

planning should clearly aim at the agreement of varied interests, so as to

promote the integrated development. The approach to be implemented should

be a strategic one implying, as it was previously stated, a clear definition of the

aims and of the more effective guidelines to reach those aims, a consideration

of the existing and inherent strong and weak points, as well as of the

opportunities to take advantage of and the threats to be avoided.

Bearing in mind that the models of planning have undergone some

adjustments over the time, let us take a look, as an example, at some of those

approaches considered as more representative of such an evolution. In the first

place, the Baud-Bovy’s traditional scheme of Tourism Planning (1985), an

approach that Baptista (1990:330) characterises as an “urbanistic approach of

planning” and bases it “on a detailed analysis and on the assessment of the

tourism resources, usually the physical ones, existing in the country or in the

region considered, from the point of view of quality and of the possibilities of its

exploitation, which led to the design of a Guiding-Plan, in which a relationship

between the use of the ground and the setting of the tourism structures is

established”, represented on Figure 1.

Figure 1. Traditional Scheme of Tourism Planning

Baptista refers a second stage in the evolution of the approaches to the

development of planning, but which does not add much to what has already

been told: he calls it “economical policy approach “ since it resorts to

“methodologies and techniques which had already been tried in other areas of

the economic activity, adapting them to the specific case of tourism”. On the

other hand, the “PASOLP – Product’s Analysis Sequence for Outdoor Leisure

Planning Approach” – developed by M. Baud-Bovy between 1976 and 1977,

already implies some innovation, specially since it is more restricted in what

concerns the study of the different factors which, in a certain moment, may

affect the development of infrastructures, lodgings and tourism equipment. It is

made up of five stages: 1 - research and analysis; 2 - definition of the tourism;

policy and of priority flows; 3 - designing the physical guiding-plan and

establishing the strategy; 4 - assessing the impacts; 5 - continual planning.

Baptista (1990:330) considers that, even this methodology, represented on

Figure 2, “does not cover all the requirements of the integral planning of

tourism, when it is supposed to be approached in the scope of the

administrative structure of the public sector to which the national organism of

tourism of the implied country belongs”. According to Mill and Morrison (1985),

Moniz (1996) also presents in short the stages of tourism planning as:

1st – analysis of the past, which is made up of:

- interpretation and adequacy of today’s policy of tourism;

Inventory of the resources and

of the structures Studies of

market

Physical guiding-plan

Program of touristic

development Aims and management

options

Assessment of the economical impact

Source: Baud-Bovy (1985, quoted by Moniz, 1996:37)

- inventory of the tourism resources;

- analysis of nowadays’ demand;

- analysis of nowadays’ supply in the region. Identification of the strong

and weak points.

2nd – research and detailed analysis, which involves:

- analysis of the resources;

- analysis of the activities that may be done in the region.

3rd - synthesis, where one proceeds to:

- the search for conclusions about the development of tourism, of the

organisation of the tourism industry, of the opportunities detected and,

finally, of other services and auxiliary activities of tourism.

4th - establishing targets, strategies and goals that will direct the actions to be

followed as far as tourism is concerned.

5th - establishing the plan, which consists of:

- establishing programs and actions in order to achieve each goal of the

plan;

- defining the duties and responsibilities of the public and private sector

so as to carry out the programs and the actions;

- defining the specific concepts of development and marketing, as well as

the opportunities that may help us reach those aims;

- defining the costs which are inherent to its application as well as to the

entities to which they should be affected;

- establishing a chronogram of action;

- defining a method for controlling the results of the plan.

As a conclusion, let us take a look at McIntosh and Goeldner (1986, quoted

by Moniz, 1996:38) model, represented on Figure 3, where planning and the

process of development of tourism are seen from a clearly agreed upon

perspective.

1.3. Effects of tourism in the regional developmentTourism assumes a more and more important role in the world economy,

especially in the countries with a larger tourism dynamic. The strong economic

expression of this activity determines a set of interactions between the various

sectors and activities that cohabit within the tourism industry area and that, in

their turn, cause various effects in the process of local and regional

development. The development of a country, region or place must occur in an

integrated and sustained way so that it can be based on the harmonious co-

existence of the different activities that characterise the area, without

jeopardising the preservation of the existent resources. From this point of view,

tourism can play an important role in a regional or local economy, although it

does not mean the end, of his own accord, of the coherent set of activities that

should constitute the economic basis of that region or place. According to

Baptista (1994), the understanding degree of the changes that tourism causes

in the regional development is directly related with the major or minor relevance

conferred to this activity, beyond the strict view of its contribution as a source of

Figure 2. The PASOLP Process

General information

Touristic resources

Today’s touristic development

Organisation and financing of

tourism

Analysis of products

Touristic flows

3 1 2 3 4 x

id id Product

considered

a b c x

rentability different impacts

Places of touristic interest and potencial

development

Infrastructures and existing equipments

Competition’s supply

A,B,C,...X

Policy of tourism

Priority touristic flows

Physical guiding plan

Impacts

Control and revision

Execution policy

Supplementary equipments

1 1 1

1 1

1

2

2

2 2

3 3 3

4

5

Source: Baud-Bovy (1985, quoted by Moniz, 1996:38)

Figure 3. Model for the Planning and the Process of Development in Tourism

Initialstimulus

Concept ofMarketing

Study ofthe market

Segmentation of the market

Economicalimpact

Choice of thealternatives

Aims

Plan ofdevelopment

Carrying outthe plan

Control

Satisfaction ofthe tourist

ControlControl

Development ofthe business

Carrying outthe strategy

Marketingstrategy

Parameters ofthe business

Decisionmodels

Legal,administrative

and budgetrestrictions

Restrictions ofthe supply

Environmentalimpact

Socialimpact

Potential of thesegments

Source: McIntosh and Goeldner (1986, quoted by Moniz, 1996:38)

foreign currency. As a matter of fact, if the strictly economic point of view

prevails, very little or nothing will it matter, the contribution that tourism is able to

offer to each region of the country in terms of revenues, jobs, tensions in the job

market, valorisation or degradation of the historic, cultural and environmental

patrimony, socio-cultural tensions, effects of dynamisation of other activities or

supplying crisis caused by the intensification of the demand generated by

tourism, etc. On the contrary, if tourism is understood and assumed in its

different implications at economic, social and cultural level, it must be correctly

considered in a strategy of regional development. In this sense, the plans of

tourism development are integrated in a policy of regional development as they

take into account the characteristics and singularities of each region, indicating

the application of methodologies and techniques suitable to each case. Thus,

they promote the evaluation of the direct impact of tourism and the effects of

complementation and production of synergies that the tourism activity causes to

develop, with the aim of enquiring about the degree of sustainability of tourism

in a region or place and its role in the regional and local development.

The development and regional policy issue is presently a central concern of

several governmental structures. As an example, the European Union (UE), in

spite of being one of the most prosperous areas of the world, shows a

remarkable disparity between its Member states. In order to measure that

disparity, one should measure and compare the levels of wealth produced by

each country, that is, its gross domestic product (GDP). The GDP per capita of

Greece, Portugal and Spain is 80% inferior to the E.U. average, while the GDP

per capita of Luxembourg is 60 percent higher than that average. The ten most

dynamic regions of the E.U. detain a GDP that is about three times higher than

the one detained by the ten less developed areas. Thus, the Europeans do not

possess the same trump cards, or the same success opportunities to face the

globalisation, whether they inhabit a prosperous region or one with a

development handicap, a dynamic region or one in crisis, the city or the

countryside, the outskirts of the E.U. or its central economic poles. The access

to the job market, the competitiveness of the enterprises and the investment in

the technologies of the new economy depend especially on the economic

operators and on the national and regional authorities, but this is not all. The

solidarity between the E.U. peoples, the economic and social progress as well

as the reinforcement of cohesion are purposes registered in the Treaty of

Amsterdam. Specifically in the article 158 of this treaty it is said: “The

Community will try to reduce the disparity between the development levels of

the different regions and the slowness of the less favoured regions and islands,

including the rural areas”. This is the reason why the Member-states execute a

regional European policy financed by the European funds, the structural funds

and the cohesion fund, which reflects the solidarity between the E.U. citizens.

The E.U. role is not limited to the attribution of financing. The regional European

policy also introduces a communitarian perspective in the actions of

development conceived in loco, contributing thus to complete, in regions where

it becomes necessary, the internal market and the Economic and Monetary

Union. In 1999, the member States have provided the EU with the financial

means that will make it possible to deepen and enlarge their activities in the

2000-2006 period. These European financial perspectives, known by the name

Agenda 2000, have been accompanied of several reformations that have

extended themselves to the great policies of the Union. The guiding principal of

the reformation of the regional policy is a greater concentration of help to less

developed regions, that is, to regions where there are more serious problems in

terms of infrastructures, of the creation of economical activities and of training.

The carrying out of that policy was simplified so that the variety of interventions

has been reduced. Significant changes in the management of the financing of

the EU have also been introduced. It was essential to recognise that the States

and the regions were very interested in taking the future into their own hands

and, thus, to start managing directly the sums given by the EU. They thus

became the main responsible for the management and control of the expenses,

and the Commission just had to intervene when there was the need to verify the

efficiency of the established systems of control. The financial transfer to the less

favoured regions and social ranks represent for the 2000-2006 period, one third

of the community’s budget, which represents 213 000 million euros (195 000

million euros through the structural funds – European Fund of Regional

Development, European Social Fund, Financial Instrument of Guiding of

Fishing, “Guiding” section of the European Fund of Agricultural Guiding and

Warranty and 18 000 million euros through the Cohesion Fund). In this context,

Portugal has been able to achieve a community structural support of 8 460

billion escudos for this 2000-2006 period, in the scope of the Quadro

Comunitário de Apoio III (QCAIII), unlike what happened with the previous one

(QCAII) whose value was much lower – 5 217 billion escudos. The community’s

support to Portugal for this period was formalised on March 31st, precisely with

the signature of the QCAIII, becoming the first country to have the QCA

approved for the 2000-2006 period. The basic legislation for the internal

management of the QCAIII was quickly published: the Decree nr. 54-A/2000,

from April 7th, defines the organic structure for the management, follow up and

control of the QCAIII and the Resolution from the Board of Ministers nr. 27/2000

from May 16th, which appoints all the teams for the management of the

operational programs and which sets the respective structures of technical

support. The QCA III is a key instrument for the next years, since it contributes

for the promotion of the smooth, balanced and sustainable development of the

economical activities, of the development of employment and of human

resources and of the exclusion of inequalities. The Alentejo region is explicitly

considered in the scope of axis 4, which concerns the promotion of the

sustainable development of the regions and social cohesion and whose

capacity is the following: (billions of escudos)

TotalCosts

Public Expenses PrivateFinancing

Total StructuralFunds

NationalPublic

Resources

Alentejo 375 351 218 133 23Source: QCA III – Portugal 2000/2006, European Commission

In Portugal, the General Direction of Regional Development is a service of

the Ministry of Planning responsible for the following: a) study and co-ordination

of the policy of regional development; b) co-ordination of the intervention of the

Structural Funds; c) presidency of the Commission for the Management of the

Structural Funds; d) presidency of the commission for the follow up of the QCA;

e) presidency of the Units for the Management of the Programs of Community

Initiative; f) national interlocutor of the European Fund of Regional Development

(FEDR) close to the European Commission; g) national interlocutor of the

Cohesion Fund close to the European Commission.

In the Alentejo, the organ that represents the central administration in the

region as regional manager of the Operational Program of the Alentejo is the

Commission for the Co-ordination of the Region of the Alentejo (CCRA).

Tourism, as a sector of the national economy, is directly considered in the

Operational Program of the Economy (POE) that integrates a set of tools of

economical policy of a middle run for the 2000 to 2006 period, destined to the

sectors of industry, energy, building, transportation, tourism, commerce and

services. Inserted in axis 2 of the Plan of Regional Development – “Change the

Productive Profile Towards the Activities of the Future” – this program aims at

stimulating some changes in the Portuguese tissue, concerning both the

existing structures and the encouragement of new opportunities of development

provided by the global economy, including the modern technologies and a high

added value. Due to its multi-sectorial nature and to its national scope, it keeps

some articulation with other axes and operational programs. The POE tries to

promote a growth in productivity and in competitiveness of Portuguese

companies in the global market, essential conditions to face the growing

external competition and the globalisation of the economies. The main aims of

this Program are to reinforce the companies’ productivity, as well as their

participation in the global market and the promotion of new possibilities of

development. As far as the sector of tourism is concerned, the aims are to: a)

promote, in a sustainable way, the competitiveness of the companies of this

sector; b) support the emergence of new areas of business that will place a bet

on the creation of new tourism products; c) act on the critical elements of the

sector of tourism through the consolidation of the great centres of tourism

production, the consolidation of the existing tourism supply, of the qualification

and intensification of the training of professionals of and for tourism and the

promotion of the internationalisation of Portugal as a tourism destination; d)

support the internationalisation of the economical agents of tourism.

The management of the POE depends, in the top, on the Ministry of

Economy, existing in the basis some management commissions. In the sector

of tourism, the management entities are different delegations of the Ministry of

Education at a regional level. As far as the mobilisation of resources is

concerned, the POE has an underlying total cost, public and private, which is

superior to 10 609 million euros – about half of it (5 330 million euros)

corresponds to the sum of the public national resources and of the Structural

Funds (3 290 million euros), also called public expense.

The Plan of Tourism Development of the Alentejo was promoted by the

Region of Tourism of Évora and prepared by the entrepreneurial consortium

CEDRU – Centre of Studies of Regional and Urban Development, Ltd. and the

World Praxis Group.

II. CENTRAL IDEAS OF THE PLAN OF TOURISTIC DEVELOPMENT FORTHE ALENTEJO (PTDA)

With basis on the documents made available by the enterprise responsible

for the execution of the PDTA, documents that are here sometimes fully quoted,

our purpose is to offer a summary perspective of the content of this document.

A special attention is given to the purposes to achieve with the accomplishment

of the Plan, to the synthesis of the tourist market of the Alentejo, to the

identification of the key ideas which embodied the strategy, to the structure of

the intervention plan and finally to the strategy of promotional positioning. Thus,

rather than criticising or making considerations about the work accomplished by

the team in question, our aim is its promotion.

2.1. AimsThe aims that conducted the accomplishment of this work had to do, once

more, with the need of “in the Alentejo, it is important the execution of a

sustained tourist dynamic capable of innovating and competing in an

increasingly more global and smaller world. However, sustainability scenery is

formed by a co-ordination of essential factors that are complex and of difficult

execution, indicating a process of tourist development that reveals itself as: a)

strategic and politically co-ordinated, so that it can guarantee a background

movement free from conflicts and participated by the striking agents of the

process of tourist development, either public or private; b) acceptable in terms

of environment and landscape, within the acceptable limits of charge, that is,

able to guarantee the regular functioning of the ecosystems as well as a

landscape profile that can be a defender from the shocks of the true

deconstruction of the landscape construction, that marks the image of the local

tourism destiny; c) culturally valorising, respecting the identity of the host

communities, praising the valorisation of the main patrimonial elements that

establish the difference between the local touristic space in relation and similar

destinies, potential competitors; d) socially progressive, as a way of

guaranteeing more jobs and family income, as well as a general elevation of the

socio-professional statute of the active staff connected with the various service

areas related with tourism and leisure; e) economically competitive and self-

regulated through an entrepreneurial ambience open to innovation and risk,

aware of the changes that operate in each new cycle of the tourism demand. It

is important to guarantee that the economic dynamic of tourism keeps an

endogenous, outstanding presence of economic resources and Know-How, so

that it can assure a capacity of self regulation of the valorisation process of the

capital involved; f) territorially ordered in order to have a better use of the

resources available and avoid squandering in the provision of the supporting

structures”.

2.2. Starting diagnosis 2.2.1. Synthesis of the tourism market of the Alentejo

Supply

- Emergent space in the national map of tourism which registered a

reasonable dynamic of expansion and diversification in the nineties, in

spite of detaining a modest representation at national level that reveals a

clear potential of development of various tourism products integrated in

the supply mosaic of this space of tourism destination;

- 4,2% of the capacity of hotel accommodation of the continent in 1999;

- 3,2% of the overnights in the continent in 1998;

- Nineties: dynamic of expansion and diversification of the supply of

equipments and services and the present situation indicts the existence

of objective conditions to undertake a sustained introduction on the

market of the activities related with tourism and leisure;

- Hotel structure formed by 137 hotels and 8 109 beds (year 2000);

- Sector of Tourism in Rural Space (TRS): 90 resorts and 1 028 beds;

- 23 camping and caravanning parks;

- The matrix of the tourism accommodation supply reveals the co-

ordination of several supply sectors, which allow a global supply of 10

800 tourism beds and an accommodation capacity (including the

camping offer) for approximately 31 000 tourists and visitors, without

mentioning the significant use of secondary residences, which registered

a growth in the last decade;

- Expansion of the number of enterprises dedicated to the tourism

entertainment services (organised tours, several sports activities, etc.);

- 21 conference rooms with capacity for 4 770 persons;

- 2 golf courses with 18 holes (Tróia and Marvão);

- 508 licensed areas, which include about 283 thousand acres (in 2000);

- 58 equestrian centres and 19 stud farms.

Demand

- 891 000 overnights in the hotel industry in 1998 (National Institute of

Statistics);

- Portuguese (60.6% of the total value);

- Spanish (18 % of the overnights);

- From the international flows of tourists stand out the German, French,

British, North American, Italian, Dutch, Belgian and Swedish markets;

- Core of central motivations which arise the desire of travelling having the

Alentejo as a destination: a) the enjoyment of the landscape and natural

spaces; b) the search for time and resting places; c) the visit to

museums and monuments; d) the acquaintance with people and places;

e) the fruition of the regional gastronomy;

- Average time of stay in the hotel industry: 1.9 days for the Portuguese

and 1.6 days for foreigners;

- Dominant profile of the tourism travel: a) family trip or with friends; b)

travelling with his own vehicle (car); c) organisation of the trip without the

services of a travel agency; d) trip focused on a single destiny or

organised in tour; e) stay in hotel facilities or similar, namely in the

typology of the tour travel; f) length of the stay from 2 to 3 nights,

especially when the accommodation is in hotels or similar;

Another profile that is important to structure is the profile of the socio-

demographic characteristics of the tourism demand of the Alentejo. The

prevailing typology consists of tourists between 26 and 65 years old, of both

sexes (with a predominance of men, although without a great difference),

working on account of others and part of income scales which cover the

typologies medium/low, medium/high, and high.

2.3. The Back Scene of a Strategy2.3.1.Stategic sides and sectors of intervention

The composition and settlement of the touristic tissue and activity of the

Alentejo rises particularly deep actions, co-ordinated in five strategic sectors,

which should be articulated with eight specific sectors of intervention and from

which the structuration of the Intervention Programs will develop:

1. Strategic Sides

• Development and valorisation of the tourism products;

• Structuring interventions of territorial basis;

• Investment in equipments and tourist services;

• Preparation and formation of the human resources;

• Promotion and tourism marketing

2. Strategic Sectors

• Valorisation of the tourism resources;

• Development of tourism services and supporting equipments;

• Organisation of the supply and tourism operation (tourism

products/services);

• Professional formation for all kinds of tourism professionals and

technicians;

• Tourism promotion (marketing and public relations);

• Information, interpretation and tourism signalling;

• Investment (equipments/activities and services, support to

investors, lightening of the bureaucratic burden);

• Studies and plans (support to decision taking).

2.3.2. Portfolio of strategic tourism products of the Alentejo: a prospectiveThe definition of the strategy for tourism development in the Alentejo is based

on a network of products that together reveal the potential of the region for the

differential valorisation of the identifiable tourism products. The analysis of the

results obtained concerning the future of the mosaic of tourism products of the

Alentejo in the next twenty years shows that the generality of the agents directly

related with the tourism in the region share a strong expectation of development

of the tourism tissue. In this context, it is obvious the structural basis that the

new economic basis of tourism in the region tends to develop. The Alentejo

reveals itself as a tourism space with a potential of development divided in three

specific chains of tourism products-The first one, which will form the vital core of

the touristic tissue, the second and the third, which combine tourism products

with different capacities of economic assertion. To this articulation of tourism

products associate five chains of products with striking specifications, whether

they are emergent products (enological tourism and golf tourism), or products

that reveal limitations or persistent problems (health tourism, young tourism and

social tourism).

Structuring tourism products with a great potential of development in the

region: Tourism of sun and sea, urban cultural tourism, cultural and discovery

touring, short-break travelling;

Tourism products with a great capacity of development in the tourism

regional tissue: Equestrian tourism, nature and landscape tourism, tourism in

rural areas, historical/archaeological tourism, nautical tourism (in interior water

surfaces), tourism of multi-activities in the open;

Tourism products with a strong potential growth in the next twenty years but

with an average assertion in the regional touristic tissue: Tourism of events,

synergetic tourism, golf tourism, gastronomic tourism, senior tourism.

III – STRUCTURATION OF THE INTERVENTION PLANInternal surrounding

a) Axis 1 – Vertebral interventions of the tourism system

Subprogram 1: valorisation of the chains of tourism products;

Subprogram 2: Structuring interventions of territorial basis.

b) Axis 2 – Transversal interventions in the tourism system

Subprogram 3: Entrepreneurial development and tourism investment;

Subprogram 4: Qualification and formation of the human resources;

Subprogram 5: Promotion, commercialisation and marketing.

External surrounding

c) Axis 3 -Technical assistance to the plan:

Subprogram 6: Implementation of the Plan of Tourism Development;

Subprogram 7: Supervision of the plan and carrying out studies.

d) Axis 4 – Complementary interventions to the tourism system

Subprogram 8: Recovery and valorisation of patrimonial values;

Subprogram 9: Urban and commercial revitalisation of the urban centres;

Subprogram 10: Reinforcement of the infrastructures of the territorial

surrounding;

Subprogram 11: Reinforcement and promotion of the supply of cultural,

sportive and economic events.

IV – STRATEGY OF PROMOTIONAL POSITIONING OF THE ALENTEJOThe strategic vision for the Alentejo in what its positioning is concerned

takes into account the importance of the existence of a “unique selling

proposition” (USP) that is transmitted to the consumer by means of a clear

message so that he does not get confused. Considering the results of the

enquiries that the enterprise passed with the tourism trade of the external

markets, it was verified the existence of a low level of knowledge of the brand

“Alentejo”, what means that there is a neutral basis to introduce its image. Thus,

it is believed that the suitable USP for the Alentejo should be its “Authenticity”.

Under the positioning “Alentejo, synonym of Authenticity” one should distinguish

two obvious supplies: the Coast and the Countryside. The first area positioned

as a Sun and “Virgin Beach” with golf destiny to be developed in the

medium/long term. The second one is positioned as the Countryside/Rural

destiny, where the touring and the cultural urban tourism are included, which

would have a development in the short/medium term. It is wished, through a

clear positioning, to give the client a well-defined picture of the region, so that

he can consider it as a destiny for his holidays if it suits his motivations. Defined

the “umbrella” brand – Alentejo, synonym of Authenticity – and the main

supplies, a set of products aimed to form the complementary supply will be

defined. The region possesses enough resources to assure a diversity of

complementary supply. The complementary products might constitute, for some

sectors of niche, the main motivation to travelling. These micro-products

oriented for the tourism of special interest are quite interesting, as one of the

great attractions of this region is its preservation, which obviously we wish to

keep. This kind of tourism involves less groups but with a higher average

expense.

Organisational structure of tourism – the Alentejo will need an identity to

supervise the application of the PTD, a role to be assumed by the Associação

das Regiões de Turismo do Alentejo (Association of the Tourism Regions of the

Alentejo)-ARTA. Moreover there must be created an identity to execute the

directives of the ARTA in what concerns the Plan, being that identity an

operative agency of touristic promotion – the ”Agência de Marketing Turístico

do Alentejo” (Tourism Marketing Agency of the Alentejo) – AMTA. The main

function of the AMTA would be to join together, that is, to optimise the

capacities of the several organisms and associations of the sector. The

existence of an independent and specialised enterprise is important for the

possibility of a) having a strong and credible image; b) being a lively and

structured organisation; c) being an agency capable of communicating, with

staff specialised in tourism marketing. The aims of this new identity would be: a)

stimulate the dynamic of the sector becoming the promoting identity of all the

tourism supply of the Alentejo; b) join together the different promotional

initiatives (inter-regional, regional, sub-regional and private) so that it becomes

possible to unify criteria, avoid dispersion and confusion of messages and

optimise the use of the available resources; c) facilitate the tourist satisfaction

through the implementation of systems of quick assistance to his complains and

claims; d) assume functions with the organism of global representation of the

interests of the sector with the agents of the issuing markets.

CONCLUSIONTourism has nowadays an important position at world scale, due to both the

high revenues it generates and the multiplicity of effects, negative and positive,

that it causes at several levels. Thus, the development of tourism is often seen

as a way of compensating the losses that the traditional sectors of the economy

have been suffering in many regions of the world. However it must be taken into

account that it can only be an activity within the context of the economic

structure of a regional economy and can not in itself replace the other sectors or

activities of the region. In this context, the planning of the tourism activity

appears as the way of granting an order and simultaneously adequacy to the

activity of Man in such a way that it prevents the deterioration of the resources

that represent, after all, the basis on which the tourism activity develops. This

way there is the possibility of optimising the positive effects of tourism, such as

the development of the host regions and minimising the negative ones. These

questions are not indifferent to organisms with responsibilities at a world-wide

and European scale. In the context of the EC, where Portugal is one of the

Member-states and namely in the definition of the QCAIII for the period from

2000 to2006, this topic was subject of a substantial financial provision, having

been attributed to our country an amount much superior to the one attributed in

the last QCA. Europe pretends with this to preserve what is its bigger source of

attractiveness: its resources and its past! The Alentejo is a rather extensive

Portuguese region, with a low demographic density, where the agricultural

sector has always been dominant. Due to the hard times that this activity has

gone through, the Alentejo has lived a recession period and at this point it is

important to reconvert its supporting economic basis. In face of the enormous

patrimony of the region, tourism appears as a feasible alternative, susceptible of

coexisting with the other economic sectors, with a more traditional character.

The execution of the PTDA fills in the need long felt by the different regional

agents worried about providing this region with the suitable instruments in order

to make possible its tourism development under a perspective of sustainability

and simultaneously make the Alentejo competitive in global terms. The Alentejo

presents a natural and environmental, constructed, ethnological and cultural

patrimony, unique and extremely relevant for the tourism attractiveness of the

region. In spite of that fact, the supply is not very structured, yet, and it is

modest at national scale, although it presents a strong potential for the

development of several tourism products. In what the demand is concerned, the

Portuguese in particular are those who look for the Alentejo as a tourism

destiny, standing out from the international tourism flows the German, French,

Britain, North American, Italian, Dutch, Belgium and Swedish markets. In this

context and considering the information collected, the strategy of tourism

development to be defined for this region as it is presented in the PTDA is co-

ordinated in five strategic sectors – development and valorisation of the tourism

products, structuring interventions of territorial basis, investment in equipments

and tourism services, preparation and formation of the human resources,

promotion and tourism marketing – articulated with eight specific sectors of

intervention: valorisation of the tourism products; development of tourism

services and equipments of support; organisation of the supply and tourism

operation (tourism products/services); professional formation for all kinds of

tourism professionals and technicians for tourism; tourism promotion (marketing

and public relations); information, interpretation and tourism signalling;

investment (equipments/activities and services, support to investors, lightening

of the bureaucracy burden) and studies and plans (support to decision taking).

On the other hand, three specific chains of tourism products were defined, with

a different potential of development in the region. Finally, the Alentejo needs to

clearly define its positioning in terms of tourism and in the context of the

international market in order to achieve the identification and notoriety desired.

Thus, it is here proposed the definition of an umbrella brand – “Alentejo,

synonym of authenticity”, around which the supply will be constructed. In what

concerns the execution, the ARTA is presented as the entity responsible for the

application of the Plan and for that effect it should carry out the creation of an

entity which would be capable of executing its purposes respecting the PTDA

and that would function as an operative agency of tourism promotion.

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http://www.world-tourism.org*

http://www.ine.pt*

http://www.min-plan.pt*

http://www.min.economia.pt*

http://www.icep.pt*

* last contact: June 30, 2001