Autor(es):
Brito, Paula 
; Ferreira, Ana Maria ; Costa, Carlos
Data: 2011
Identificador Persistente: http://hdl.handle.net/10174/9760
Origem: Repositório Científico da Universidade de Évora
Assunto(s): Tourism; 3rd sector organizations
Descrição
This article is concerned with the third sector (in particular, local development
agencies, arts and culture organisations) in relation to opportunities, barriers, and challenges
they face and their potential roles within the context of tourism planning and development. These
organisations often perform a central role as keepers and nurturers of a region’s identity and
traditions, often supplementing the state and private sectors in cultural intervention in traditional
sun and sea destinations. Thus, they potentially make a valuable contribution to sustainable
tourism development. However, there is a lack of research exploring third sector organisations,
and in particular their interface with tourism. The purpose of this paper is to address this gap in
the literature. Based on qualitative research amongst leaders from the third sector, the tourism
industry and cultural leaders in the Algarve, Portugal, it considers the interface between the third
sector and tourism from two perspectives: that of the third sector leaders regarding the tourism
industry; and, the tourism sector leaders regarding the third sector’s potential role in tourism.
Preliminary findings indicate that local third sector organisations should play a more active role
in tourism, complementary to those played by the state and private sectors, their specific
knowledge being perceived as an added value to the tourist experience. However, it is also
evident that, as yet these organisations have no formally recognised role in tourism planning and
development.
