Perception and reality of the impact of the Portuguese Way on commercial activity in the city of Chaves: economy, interaction, local identity and public policy
Perception and reality of the impact of the Portuguese Way on commercial activity in the city of Chaves: economy, interaction, local identity and public policy
Percepción y realidad de los impactos del Camino Portugués interior a Santiago en la actividad comercial de la ciudad de Chaves: Análisis sobre parámetros de la economía, la interacción, la identidad local y las políticas públicas
Fonte: ROTUR. Revista de Ocio y Turismo; Vol. 15 No. 1 (2021); 59-77
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Resumo: This paper analyses the impact of the Portuguese Way (Caminho Português Interior a Santiago – CPIS) on local businesses in the city of Chaves. A questionnaire on the subject was created and distributed to a representative group of hotel and restaurant traders in areas of Chaves along the route. Respondents were surveyed on four parameters: the context, frequency and languages of interaction between pilgrims and local traders; the availability of and demand for services; traders’ perception of the promotion, reception and capitalisation policies promoted by local and state institutions; and the perceived importance of the route for the city’s identity.The results reveal a unanimously positive response regarding the beneficial effects of the pilgrimage on local business, despite data to the contrary regarding the real impact on of the presence of pilgrims on the city’s economy.The data show limited interaction between traders and pilgrims (usually in Portuguese), resulting in virtually zero day-to-day impact on local businesses. Finally, in contrast to the importance attributed to the city’s Roman heritage, the study showed no effect of the Portuguese Way on the identity of the local community, despite its prominence in debates round local government policy planning.
