Stakeholders's perception on tourism development: the case of the island of Sao Miguel, Azores

Tourism in the Autonomous Region of the Azores, and especially in the island of Sao Miguel, has suffered in recent years a significant increase with repercussions on economic, socio-cultural and environmental impacts. Strategic planning of the activity becomes even more challenging in small island territories. In this context, the present study aims to know the perceptions of different stakeholders about the impacts of tourism development; the identification of the main drivers of the competitiveness of the destination; and the characterization of the level of involvement and participation of local stakeholders in the planning process. Methodologically, we chose semi-directive interviews and content analysis from a sample of stakeholders from the island of S. Miguel. The results show that the positive economic impacts are the most noticeable, as one would expect in a destination in the growth phase, and a level of public participation still scarce.