A model of tourism planning and design: the Euro-Region Galicia-Northern Portugal as a common tourism destination

The new configuration of the Euro-region Galicia-Northern Portugal is in need of a debate on the problems regarding its development. Important questions arise, such as the organization and planning of common tourism destinations. In this paper important and valuable scientific literature on this topic and data from a study carried out by the authors for the Eixo Atlántico in 2001 are used to implement some instruments for their application to the Euro-region. The model presented here is a systemic elaboration of the design of the Euro-region as a common tourism destination in which a formal structure of its elements is provided, which will prove useful to managers and planners in their analysis of situations and in decision-making processes. Key words: common destinations, cross-border regions, planning.

A Tourist Destination Planning and Design Model: Application to the Area around the Miño River in the South of Galicia and the North of Portugal

Based on a study of tourist activity as a factor influencing local development carried out in 2001 on Galicia and northern Portugal, our research team presents herein a synthesis of the main contributions offered by a territorial analysis of tourist destinations, drawing up a model which allows us to evaluate the characteristics of this border region. The main contribution of this study is the validation of the model used in order to propose planning measures, contrasting the initial hypothesis in regarding this region as a tourist destination as a whole, in terms of the structure of the features it has in common, analysed in the model, as well as the behaviour KEY WORDS: border region, destination regions, tourism planning

La Eurorregión Galicia-Norte de Portugal y los Modelos de Cooperación Transfronteriza

La perspectiva territorial de las relaciones fronterizas entre las regiones Galicia y Norte de Portugal mostraba ya un marcado acento atlántico desde finales del siglo XVIII, apoyado en las favorables condiciones de las infraestructuras de comunicación próximas al litoral, que definían un eje de tránsito cada vez más utilizado en sus intercambios comerciales. Después de su incorporación a la Comunidad Europea y siguiendo las directrices de la iniciativa comunitaria INTERREG, las instituciones regionales deciden crear la Comunidad de Trabajo Galicia-Norte de Portugal en 1991, como un instrumento de cooperación para consolidar un espacio común. Ese modelo institucional chocó en diversas ocasiones con las políticas de las administraciones locales, no siempre del mismo color ideológico, lo que llevó a los regidores de las principales ciudades de las dos regiones a constituir en 1992 el Eixo Atlántico del Noroeste Peninsular para crear un área de cooperación transfronteriza, con base municipal y una dinámica propia de influencia sobre los centros de decisión europeos, diferenciándose así de las acciones de la Comunidad de Trabajo, más interesada en eliminar las barreras físicas de las fronteras. En realidad, sus objetivos eran complementarios y finalmente, en 2000, el Eixo Atlántico se integró en la Comunidad de Trabajo, sumando de esa forma las sinergias de los dos enfoques de la cooperación. En este trabajo se analiza también una de sus actuaciones más singulares, la configuración de la eurociudad Chaves-Verín, como construcción ejemplar de un espacio transfronterizo comú

COMPORTAMIENTO DE LA DEMANDATURÍSTICA EN LA RÍA DE PONTEVEDRA

     This paper is a synthesis of the first part in our research project about tendencies of touristic demand in the Rias Baixas, and the effects of tourism activities on local development. The results we have obtained on the municipalities of Marín and Pontevedra show a remarkable interest of visitors in cultural and nature products, that is coincident with the european tendencies of touristic demand.     Este trabajo constituye una síntesis de la primera parte de un proyecto de investigación, que pretende conocer las tendencias de la demanda turística en las Rías Baixas y su efecto sobre el desarrollo de las comundiades locales. Los resultados sobre los municipios de Marín y Pontevedra expresan un notable interés de la demanda en la oferta cultural y de naturaleza, coincidente con las tendencias europeas

The Minho-Lima sub-region as a common destination: tourist potential and agents’ commitment on it

Empirical evidence shows that tourism can give a real contribution to regional development and, in the case of certain remote and economic lagged territories, it is one of the best placed sectors to achieve this goal. This as to do, namely, with the possibility of making use of endogenous resources of territories. In the case of the Minho-Lima sub-region, an important tourist potential exists coming from the variety and singularity of its resources - the beauty of its landscapes, the architectonic wealth of secular buildings, and the exuberance of the gastronomy and many of its cultural manifestations. Taking this in view, this paper attempts to catalogue and evaluate the tourist resources of Minho-Lima, as well as to analyze the complementary elements and the external factors related with the image of the destination. The methodology followed relies on a two-stage process. Firstly, taking the primary components, the consistency of the territory as a tourist destination was analysed, evaluating its tourism potential. In a second stage, considering the secondary elements, the components of the image of the common tourist destination were evaluated through the study of local, regional and national promotion strategies, in what brochures and web sites are concerned. The ultimate goal is to check the perception of the territory as a common destination and agents’ commitment on it

Heritage and sustainable tourism on the Camino de Santiago: managing local government of the French itinerary in Galicia

El objetivo principal de este trabajo se dirige a estudiar y valorar la actuación de las administraciones locales en el itinerario francés del Camino de Santiago en su papel de aprovechar el patrimonio de cada municipio y favorecer un turismo sostenible como factor de desarrollo local. El análisis se sitúa en el paradigma consecuente con la aprobación en 2008 de la Carta de Itinerarios Culturales del Internacional Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), que estableció definitivamente el valor de los itinerarios culturales para promover actividades turísticas y desarrollo sostenible. Entre los resultados del estudio que sirvió de base para este artículo destaca la asimetría existente entre el potencial turístico derivado de los recursos naturales, etnográficos y monumentales del Camino, y la escasa dotación de equipamientos turísticos en los municipios, unida a la ineficiencia de las administraciones locales en la gestión de aquellos recursos.The main objective of this paper is to assess local governments’ actions in the French Route of the Way of Saint James, aimed at capitalizing on the heritage of each municipality and favoring sustainable tourism as a factor for local development. The analysis is carried out within the paradigm derived from the approval of the Charter on Cultural Routes by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) in 2008, which definitively settled the value of cultural routes for promoting tourism and sustainable development. Among the results of the study in which this article is based, it underlines the asymmetry between the tourism potential of natural, ethnographic and monumental resources in the Way, and the scarce local tourism infrastructure in the municipalities, added to the inefficiency of local governments when managing those resources

UNA APROXIMACIÓN METODOLÓGICA AL ANÁLISIS DE ÁREAS DE BAJA INTENSIDAD TURÍSTICA EN COSTA RICA

New challenges facing the international tourism industry, which are contemplated by the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) in its 2002-2012 Strategic Plan, make it necessary to open a debate on development issues in areas with limited tourism activities. In this paper relevant literature on this topic and data from previous studies by the authors in a joint project funded by the two universities are used to implement research instruments for their application to two destinations with low tourist demand in Costa Rica, the Golfito and Limon provinces. The emergent tourism destination analysis and design model presented here provide a framework which may be useful to administrators and planners in their evaluation and decision-making process.Los nuevos desafíos del turismo mundial a los que intenta hacer frente el Plan 2002-2012 del Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT), hacen necesario un debate sobre los problemas de su desarrollo en lugares concretos con escasa tradición y/o actividad turística. Existe en la actualidad una importante y valiosa literatura científica sobre el tema que es usada en este artículo, aprovechando los datos del estudio realizado por los autores dentro de un proyecto de cooperación apoyado por las dos Universidades y aplicado al territorio de los cantones de Golfito y Limón, como destinos de baja intensidad turística. Se presenta así un modelo de análisis para su diseño como destinos turísticos emergentes, con una formalización de sus elementos, que puede ser útil para las administraciones y los planificadores en su valoración y en la toma de decisiones

Un modelo de reconfiguración del territorio: la eurociudad Chaves-Verín y la cooperación turística en el alto Támega

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Tourism in rural areas: a comparative analysis of Galicia and North of Portugal

This paper unveils the results stemming from two parallel researches, whose scope of analysis was tourism in rural areas (TRA) structures, as established in both northeast regions of the Iberia Peninsula which shape the Euro-region Galicia-North of Portugal. Firstly, a descriptive analysis of the regulations and the TRA supply for both territories is presented, and an evaluation of the strategies which have been followed by the private entrepreneurs and the public administration of each of them, as far as the utilisation of resources is concerned, is done. The symmetries and asymmetries of the touristic structures of those regions are also underlined. In the second part of this study, the above mentioned strategies will be discussed at length seeking to pinpoint how they configure and shape very similar touristic models based upon the use of natural and historical resources, which somehow display common features. Finally, it is sought to materialise a brief conclusion

Rural Tourism: a comparative analyses from Galicia and North of Portugal

This paper unveils the results stemming from two parallel researches, whose scope of analysis was tourism in rural areas (TRA) structures, as established in both northeast regions of the Iberia Peninsula which shape the Euro-region Galicia-North of Portugal. Firstly, a descriptive analysis of the regulations and the TRA supply for both territories is presented, and an evaluation of the strategies which have been followed by the private entrepreneurs and the public administration of each of them, as far as the utilisation of resources is concerned, is done. The symmetries and asymmetries of the touristic structures of those regions are also underlined. In the second part of this study, the above mentioned strategies will be discussed at length seeking to pinpoint how they configure and shape very similar touristic models based upon the use of natural and historical resources, which somehow display common features. Finally, it is sought to materialise a brief conclusion. Key Words: Tourism in Rural Areas (TRA), touristic strategies, TRA models