Fonte: Journal of Tourism & Development; n. 25 (2016); 103 - 115
Palavras-chave:
Resumo: The contribution of rural tourism to the economy in general and in particular to local economies seems to be already unquestionable. This evidence is presented in several studies in the literature and reinforced by a set of official organizations. This study aims to evaluate the perception of resident population about the importance of rural tourism for the sustainable development of the Setúbal peninsula.Specifically, the study aims to understand the perception of the population regarding the impact of this activity and to evaluate if the factors related with age, gender, level of education and residence in the region influence on a more positive or negative perception concerning the impacts of rural tourism in the development of this peninsula. It is proposed an exploratory research supported by a quantitative and qualitative analysis. The study results indicate a high public optimism regarding the impact of rural tourism for the development of the region, having been found very low influence of social demographic factors in explaining the perceptions of residents.
