Tourism Through the Gaze of Stakeholders: the Case of Óbidos Lagoon in Portugal

Abstract

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 and 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.