Tourism Stakeholders’ Perceptions Towards Sustainable Tourism Development in a Low-Density Area: The Case of the Alvão Natural Park (Portugal)

With a total area of 7239 hectares, the Alvão Natural Park (PNAL) is the smallest natural park in Portugal. Like the scenario experienced in many rural territories and protected areas of the country, the PNAL possesses great biodiversity and natural value while confronted by a gradual loss and aging of its resident population, scarce business fabric and lack of coordination between local agents. Thus, the commitment on the promotion of a sustainable and resilient tourism strategy emerges as one of the main paths to enhance development of this protected area, aiming achieving new economic, social and environmental dynamics. In this context, this study proposes to analyze the perceptions of the PNAL stakeholders on several issues related to sustainable tourism and local development. Adopting a qualitative methodological design, primary data were collected by conducting two focus groups, which were attended by a total of 19 local agents of the PNAL. Stakeholders were invited to discuss four broad themes of the Park's tourism context: i) the tourism potential; ii) the diagnosis of the current tourism sector; iii) residents' attitudes towards potential visitors; and iv) the main risks and challenges ahead. The analysis of the qualitative data collected from the focus groups allowed us to determine that: 1) stakeholders believe that the territory has a high tourism potential; 2) PNAL is faced with the lack of infrastructure and services to support tourism; 3) local populations will be receptive to the presence and increase in the number of visitors; and 4) there is concerns regarding several risks, such as the continued loss of population, climate change and forest fires, and the risks associated with mass tourism. The results obtained can be useful for the design of tourism development strategies for this territory, namely in what regards the coordination of actions between stakeholders, which is particularly relevant in the current framework of implementation of the PNAL's co-management model.

Keywords: Sustainable Tourism; Protected Areas; Stakeholders Perceptions; Local Development; Focus Group; Alvão Natural Park.

L.F. Silva¹, J. Cadima Ribeiro², F. Carballo-Cruz³

¹NIPE, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal, luissilvamkt@gmail.com

²NIPE and School of Economics and Management, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal, jcadima@eeg.uminho.pt

³NIPE and School of Economics and Management, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal, fcarballo@eeg.uminho.pt

[Resumo de comunicação apresentada no 29th APDR Congress - Islands and peripheral territories: challenges in a moving geography and changing "climate" patterns, organizado pela Universidade da Madeira, realizado de 29 a 30 de junho de 2022, na Universidade da Madeira, Funchal, Ilha da Madeira]