The Role of Residents and Their Perceptions of the Tourism Industry in Low-Density Areas: The Case of Boticas, in the Northeast of Portugal

The reduced demographic dynamic of certain low-density areas, in conjunction with the inability to undertake local and regional public initiatives, in particular those that require the commitment of local stakeholders, has contributed to the weakness of the social and economic framework of such areas, including those in Portugal. In view of this fact, an empirical study was undertaken in one of Portugal’s inland rural areas—the municipality of Boticas—during the first 6 months of 2016 with a view to (1) assess residents’ perceptions of the municipality’s tourism attributes and potential and (2) help implement a more participative and sustainable tourism strategy in the municipality and neighbouring areas as a means of enhancing the multi-functionality of that territory. The empirical approach used descriptive statistics and factor analysis, with principal component analysis. We found that residents believe that their territory is endowed with relevant tourism attributes, although they have no clear idea about the path to undertake with regard to tourism development and that they expect to reap significant benefits from development of the tourism industry. The survey on residents’ perceptions was complemented by two previous focus groups, conducted in September 2015.