role of planning in local and regional tourism development

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The Role of Planning in Local and Regional Tourism Development

Ana Paula Figueira

Escola Superior de T ecnologia e Gestão / IPBeja

XXVII Reunion de Estudios Regionales

Madrid (Espanha)/Novembro 2001

I - TOURISM, TOURISM PLANNING AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

1.1. 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 planning

Nowadays, 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 thatwill 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 thatthere 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 faras 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 thearea 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 theidentified 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 approach

According 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 strategicplanning 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, innowadays’ 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) d uality 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 Planning

Being 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

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)



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 between1976 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 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 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 concernof 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 capi ta of Luxembourg is 60 percent higher than that

average.



Figure 2. The PASOLP Process

General information

Touristic resources

Today’s touristic development

Organisation and financing of

tourism

Analysis of products

Touristic flows

31 2 3 4 x

id idProduct

considered

a b c x

rentability different impacts

Places of touristic interest and potencial

development

Infrastructures and existing equipments

Competition’ssupply

A,B,C,...X

Policy of tourism

Priority touristic flows

Physical guiding plan

Impacts

Control and revision

Execution policy

Supplementary equipments

1 1 1

11

1

2

2

22

3 33

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 of Marketing

Study of the market

Segmentationof the market

Economicalimpact

Choice of thealternatives

Aims

Plan of

development

Carrying outthe plan

Control

Satisfaction of the tourist

Control

Control

Development of the business

Carrying outthe strategy

Marketing

strategy

Parameters of

the business

Decisionmodels

Legal,administrative

and budgetrestrictions

Restrictions of the supply

Environmentalimpact

Socialimpact

Potential of thesegments

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



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 enterprisesand 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 t he 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 16 th, 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 andsocial cohesion and whose capacity is the following:

(billions of escudos)

Total

Costs

Public Expenses Private

Financing

Total Structural

Funds

National

Public

Resources

Alentejo 375 351 218 133 23

Source: 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 FOR THE ALENTEJO

(PTDA)

With basis on the documents made available by the enterpris e 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. Aims

The 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 capacityof 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 forforeigners;

- 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 Strategy

2.3.1.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 prospective

The 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 thetourism 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 PLAN

Internal 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 ALENTEJO

The strategic vision for the Alentejo in what its positioning is concerned takes into account theimportance 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 mo tivations. 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 s taff specialised intourism 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.



CONCLUSION

Tourism 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 accountthat 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 ispresented 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 theapplication 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

role of planning in local and regional tourism development

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