Cooperation in tourism and regional development

Abstract

Tourism’s contribution to the economy, in general, and to local economies, in particular, is widely accepted. Given the increasing competition between destinations and complexity of tourism destination management, the formation and development of cooperative relationships between stakeholders has become a requirement for success and sustainability. This study sought to understand business cooperation in terms of specific territories’ complementarity, with a specific focus on tourism development in the Portuguese subregion of the Setubal Peninsula. A qualitative methodology was applied using a case study. Documentary sources were analysed to collect data to facilitate the peninsula’s characterisation, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with a focus group. The results indicate that stakeholders understand cooperation’s importance to obtaining synergies that ensure tourism and regional development. The interviewees identified a set of benefits associated with cooperation, but these experts are all aware of this strategy’s challenges, which, nonetheless, do not necessarily diminish their willingness to cooperate.