Expectations of tourism: hope, disappointment and tourism development in Vila Real (Douro, Portugal)

In this article, based on ethnographic research in Vila Real, Portugal, and carried out within the framework of the “Dourotur” research project, I describe local expectations of tourism in a context of prolonged economic decay and marginalization by national economic policies. Though acknowledging local demands for tourism as legitimate, I question the too straightforward link between tourism and local development that has become a mantra in Portugal. I maintain that, in order to be effective and face local expectations, tourism development policies need to be adapted to local territories and developed in a participative and sustainable form.