Abstract
https://authors.elsevier.com/c/1jyTr2eyKFvNR-
Espaço de divulgação e debate de ideias relativas ao planeamento do território, à economia do turismo e ao desenvolvimento regional.
https://authors.elsevier.com/c/1jyTr2eyKFvNR-
"Residents’ Perceptions of Tourism Development in the Context of a New Governance Framework for Portuguese Protected Areas: The Case of a Small Peripheral Natural Park" - title of the paper to be published online soon
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/journal-of-rural-studies
Aproximando-se a realização do 2º Encontro de Editores de Revistas Académicas em Ciências Sociais e Humanas (ERACSH), partilhamos hiperligação para o programa definitivo do mesmo, anexando cartaz e convite.
Abstract
Historically, Portuguese protected areas (PAs) have been operating under top-down governance, often neglecting local communities. In 2019, the Portuguese government established a new governance model for PAs, based on co-management. The new co-management approach emphasizes collaborative and participatory governance and positions sustainable tourism as a catalyst for territorial revitalization and local development. However, local communities’ attitudes and perceptions regarding tourism in these areas remain largely uncharted. This study focuses on the Alvão Natural Park (PNAL), a small rural and mountainous Portuguese PA, which is currently in the early stages of co-management implementation. Our goal was to investigate local residents' perceptions of tourism's impacts and identify potential divergence among resident groups and their level of support for tourism development. These insights are pivotal because the active engagement of local communities is a key element for sustainable tourism development and the successful implementation of co-management. The study employed a self-administered survey, garnering responses from 250 PNAL residents representing over half of the park's population. Factor analysis identified four primary perceptual dimensions and cluster analysis classified residents into three distinct groups based on their tourism perceptions. While most PNAL residents express support for tourism development, there is a resounding call for new policies to revert the legacy of top-down governance. This research provides essential insights for shaping effective tourism policies, planning and development strategies, and ensuring the active involvement of local communities in co-management and sustainable development efforts within the PNAL. Moreover, this study demonstrates the applicability of this research approach in the context of evolving governance models with the potential for adaptation to other PAs across Portugal and other countries undergoing similar governance transitions.
Keywords: protected area; local communities; co-management; sustainable tourism development; Portugal
Luís Filipe Silva
José Cadima Ribeiro
Francisco Carballo-Cruz
(Comunicação apresentada no 63rd ERSA Congress (2024), organizado pela European Regional Science Association, de 26 a 30 de agosto de 2024, na Ilha Terceira, Açores, Portugal)