The Influence of Creative Tourism on Sustainable Development of Tourism and Reduction of Seasonality – Case Study of Óbidos

Tourism remains one of the most fast growing and important industries in the world. It is hard to underestimate the importance and the spectrum of the benefits that tourism provides. On the other hand, nowadays, the increasing growth of tourism poses a range of challenges and problems that need to be solved. These challenges resonate in the emergence of the so called 'alternative' or sustainable forms of tourism, which deem to be an antidote against the harms the traditional forms of tourism cause to the environment and local communities. These new forms of tourism, among which is creative tourism, are reinforced by the new breed of tourists, who are no longer satisfied with the static offer of tourism but rather prefer the dynamic one. The present research shows on the case of Óbidos the potential of creative tourism to meet these new needs of modern tourists while also solving number of problems that many destinations face, namely seasonality in tourism, as well as how creative tourism contributes to the sustainable development of tourism.

Tourism through the gaze of stakeholders: the case of Óbidos Lagoon in Portugal

Coastal lagoons are valued and sensitive ecosystems often threatened by human pressure. In our study we focused on the development of local activities in the Óbidos lagoon and we aimed to understand the stakeholders’ view about the best solutions for local development. Stakeholders were divided into residents, tourists, groups of interest and surveys and interviews were applied. The results indicated that although the lagoon is considered a dynamic economical resource for the local economy communities, tourism was identified by all stakeholders as the strategic tool for development in the lagoon. These results suggest the urgency to promote sustainable guidelines for the local tourism development.