Abstract
The main aim of this paper is the analysis of the third sector arts, culture and local development organisations (TSO) participation in the context of tourism planning and development and to understand the characteristics of its connections to the tourism sector in the region of the Algarve. The methodological strategy is anchored in a mix-methods approach applying qualitative techniques such as semistructured interviews (n=40), document analysis, non-participant observation, and adopting a triangulation approach. There have been few empirical studies that analyse this theme, thus, identifying the forms of participation that the third sector can adopt and their characteristics constitutes one of the main contributions of this research towards reinforcing the conceptual framework in the context of responsible tourism development. The results revealed that third sector organisations display a set of characteristics that position them as active agents in the tourist planning and development processes by operating on areas such as the promotion of cultural expression, research and inventory of cultural and natural resources, raising awareness of those resources and also by actively participating in supply structuring of tourist services.
Highlights
In the 21st century, there is recognition of the strategic importance of a process of tourist planning and development in destinations, with the public sector, companies, third sector organisations (TSO) and residents of their respective territories all participating in these processes (UNEP & UNWTO, 2005; Gunn & Var, 2002)
Data concerning the sub-region of Southern Europe and the Mediterranean, which is the geographic location of Portugal and the Algarve – the tourist destination under study – show that it is among the leaders in international tourist arrivals regarding the European tourist region
We argue that the reinforcement of cooperation initiatives between tourism organisations, companies and third sector organisations can be understood as an implementation of responsible tourism thinking into practice
Summary
In the 21st century, there is recognition of the strategic importance of a process of tourist planning and development in destinations, with the public sector, companies, third sector organisations (TSO) and residents of their respective territories all participating in these processes (UNEP & UNWTO, 2005; Gunn & Var, 2002). According to UNWTO (2020), there were 1,460 million international tourist arrivals in 2019, which corresponds to an average annual growth of 4%. Europe continued its position as the main tourist region, with 744 million international tourist arrivals in the same year, representing more than half the number of international tourists (51%). Data concerning the sub-region of Southern Europe and the Mediterranean, which is the geographic location of Portugal and the Algarve – the tourist destination under study – show that it is among the leaders in international tourist arrivals regarding the European tourist region
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