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- From island mass tourism to rural tourism In Madeira: Is there a place for a re-definition of islands image?Publication . Almeida, António Manuel Martins deExiste amplo consenso que a manutenção da capacidade competitiva de destinos turísticos maduros assenta no desenvolvimento de nichos de mercado alternativos como no caso do turismo rural Outros mercados alternativos, como o eco-turismo e o segmento do turismo rural também têm sido objecto de atenção por parte dos gestores destes destinos turísticos. O turismo rural é um nicho de mercado, recente mas em crescimento, com crescente importância em áreas periféricas com história no turismo de massa ou oferecendo produtos turísticos standard. Devido à relativa ´juventude´ do sector na Madeira, esta comunicação visa providenciar um melhor entendimento da imagem percepcionada do sector, baseado numa amostra de 150 turistas. Análise estatística multivariada é aplicada para construir a imagem do sector, com base na avaliação de uma série de itens como é usual neste tipo de estudos. Este estudo proporciona a oportunidade de preencher um vazio na literatura devido à identificação dos factores condicionantes da imagem, para além de incluir uma série de recomendações em termos de gestão do destino.
- Pre-emptively managing overtourism by promoting rural tourism in low-density areas: lessons from MadeiraPublication . Majdak, Piotr; Almeida, António Manuel Martins deOvertourism refers not only to situations in which carrying capacity levels have been exceeded, but also to those in which tourists and residents share negative feelings of discomfort and other emotions, loss of quality of life and unpleasant experiences in their activities of daily life. The growing number of places struggling with the problem of overtourism suggests that brand new approaches are required to minimize the effects of excessive tourism. However, the impacts of overtourism are place-specific and a one-size-fits-all approach is inappropriate. Many destinations still have a considerable margin to manoeuvre but are nonetheless heading towards increasingly unsustainable levels of tourists per square kilometer. Such regions have time to take some pre emptive measures based on principles of sustainable development using greener and energy-saving technologies. Over the past few decades, degrowth has arisen as an unorthodox approach based on principles of fairness and social and environmental justice. In certain areas, such as island economies, the economic dynamics remain largely dependent on the tourism sector, which forces the local actors to think and act differently. In this study, we analyze the strategies employed by Madeira to counter the negative effects of oversaturation in a pre-emptive way. The findings of this case study, based on the data at the county level, are enhanced by a panel data analysis of a number of relevant explanatory variables explaining the dispersion of tourists to the rural hinterland. The results suggest that the development of the rural hinterland has proven capable of exerting a progressively positive influence well beyond the borders of the rural hinterland by accommodating a growing share of the increasing numbers of tourists welcomed in the region in the 2002–2019 period, at the expense of the main capital city. This study confirms the importance and potential of the development of the rural hinterland to tackle overtourism in the main tourism areas. In terms of recommendations, it is suggested that local operators and policy-makers must develop efforts to research new ways to adopt energy-saving projects and develop tourisms products that incorporate eco-friendly behaviors.
- Segmentation by benefits sought: the case of rural tourism in MadeiraPublication . Almeida, António Manuel Martins de; Correia, Antónia; Pimpão, AdrianoRural tourism has been promoted as an effective catalyst for growth in rural areas severely hit by the rural structuring process. However, with regard to islands, rural tourism has been mainly advertised and promoted as a counterpoint to mass tourism. While in most Western countries rural tourism has been in place for decades, islands have been pursuing a rural tourism agenda only since the 1990s. Consequently, we face a dearth of research regarding motivation factors that attract tourists to the rural hinterland on islands. The purpose of this study is to segment and profile rural tourists based on benefits sought in order to gain a better understanding of the current demand trends. The data collection procedure were based on a self-administered survey applied to a sample of 180 tourists, and four clusters were identified. The relaxer cluster which comprises individuals attracted by opportunities to relax and recharge batteries, are the most dominant, suggesting that the sector mimics, to a large extent, the main tourism market. This is a problematic outcome because the sector is failing to attract a more diverse and wealthy clientele. Due attention should also be paid to other clusters. The ruralist segment values relaxation in natural segments to escape from daily routine, the ‘want it all segment’ is composed of tourists interested in all kind of activities and the family-oriented cluster is mainly interested in socialising with the family. Implications of our preliminary conclusions for theory and practice are discussed.