Competitividade Turística Regional: Avaliação nos Principais Mercados, 1991-2001

Abstract

This article presents a study on tourism competitiveness for the seven regions of Portugal, classified accordingly with the Nomenclature of Statistical Territorial Units at level 2 (also known as NUTS II): Norte; Centro; Lisboa e Vale do Tejo; Alentejo; Algarve; Açores; and Madeira. The performance evaluation is centred on the application of Market Share Analysis, complemented with concentration measures and growth rates, to tourist nights spent in hotel and similar establishments. Empirical results for the period 1991-2001, suggest that the regions with the weakest competitive position, excluding the Açores, show a poor performance, and the regions with the strongest competitive position, excluding the Algarve, show a good performance. There is also heterogeneity in the performance of the different regions in the top generating countries. The uniqueness of the main tourist regions can make the definitions of national objectives more difficult.