Collaborative Tourism Planning in Small Municipalities. The Creation of a Local Development Strategy for Pombal (Portugal) Through the Application of the Delphi Technique

Abstract

The tourism planning has been coming to be one of the main tools to overcome the issues generated by tourism and to optimize its benefits for all the parts involved, in an increasingly sustainable and collaborative vision. In Portugal, the local government has been gaining responsibilities in this field. Pombal, a municipality in the coast of the Centre of Portugal, has touristic potentialities, but lacks a structured strategic intervention. In this research, the basis for the tourism development of Pombal is determined through the implementation of the Delphi Technique. The paper highlights the technique as a suitable tool for the implementation of collaborative processes in local and regional contexts, as it enables a heterogeneous group of stakeholders to cross perspectives and to generate solutions together in a neutral and equitable environment.