Article: Tourism governance through the eyes of local stakeholders: experiences and new possibilities in the Douro region (Portugal) Journal: International Journal of Tourism Policy (IJTP) 2020 Vol.10 No.3 pp.221 - 243 Abstract: Governance is a recurring issue in current tourism research. However, there are still few studies focused on autochthonous governance perspectives. In this sense, and considering the Douro region (Portugal), we analyse the experiences and understandings expressed by local agents about the tourism organisation and their projections on alternative paths to follow. Our main aims are to characterise the political-organisational ecology in which the (inter)actions of multiple tourism stakeholders are inscribed and to understand their willingness to integrate new governance processes. This analytical exercise is supported by data collected through semi-structured interviews and documentary research. These data point to the existence of structural gaps among the entities that intervene within the tourism system. Also, they reveal intra-regional dissensions that undermine any integrated tourism management processes. Aware of this scenario, local agents identify some possibilities to be considered for building a new coherent and sustained governance configuration for tourism in the Douro. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Tourism governance through the eyes of local stakeholders: experiences and new possibilities in the Douro region (Portugal)

Authors: Octávio Sacramento; Caroline Dominguez; Vítor Rodrigues; Edgar Bernardo

Addresses: University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Centre for Transdisciplinary Development Studies, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal ORCID: 0000-0001-8533-3653 ORCID: 0000-0002-8486-4142 ' University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Centre for Transdisciplinary Development Studies, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal ORCID: 0000-0001-8533-3653 ORCID: 0000-0002-8486-4142 ' University of Aveiro, GOVCOPP, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal ' University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Centre for Transdisciplinary Development Studies, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal

Abstract: Governance is a recurring issue in current tourism research. However, there are still few studies focused on autochthonous governance perspectives. In this sense, and considering the Douro region (Portugal), we analyse the experiences and understandings expressed by local agents about the tourism organisation and their projections on alternative paths to follow. Our main aims are to characterise the political-organisational ecology in which the (inter)actions of multiple tourism stakeholders are inscribed and to understand their willingness to integrate new governance processes. This analytical exercise is supported by data collected through semi-structured interviews and documentary research. These data point to the existence of structural gaps among the entities that intervene within the tourism system. Also, they reveal intra-regional dissensions that undermine any integrated tourism management processes. Aware of this scenario, local agents identify some possibilities to be considered for building a new coherent and sustained governance configuration for tourism in the Douro.

Keywords: tourism; governance; stakeholders; autochthonous experiences; Douro region; Portugal.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTP.2020.111287

International Journal of Tourism Policy, 2020 Vol.10 No.3, pp.221 - 243

Received: 06 Feb 2020
Accepted: 19 Jul 2020
Published online: 17 Nov 2020 *

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Title: Tourism governance through the eyes of local stakeholders: experiences and new possibilities in the Douro region (Portugal)

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