A crise económica na Região Demarcada do Douro: algumas estratégias de sobrevivência e dinamização no setor turístico

• Autor(a) principal: Pina, Helena
• Data de Publicação: 2017
• Tipo de documento: Livro
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: https://hdl.handle.net/10216/112064
• topic: Geografia; Geography

An emblematic area, the Douro Demarcated Region (DDR) not only offers a privileged setting where excellent wines are produced, namely Port wine, but also a landscape that reflects its historical wealth. Throughout its 250000 hectares of land, terraces are laden with vineyards, framing a landscape classified in 2001 as a World Heritage Site. It is indeed a captivating scenario, home to superb architectural, socio-cultural, gastronomic and oenological heritage that, nevertheless, needs to be protected and bolstered. However, the obstacles to its development have multiplied and have been further aggravated during the crisis which began in 2008. The problems the region faces are not only demographic but also economic, particularly those associated with winegrowing and tourism. Small family-based farms dominate the region, especially in the Baixo Corgo, the westernmost sub-region. This article characterises this regional scenario, emphasising the rural landscape and its problems, especially in the aftermath of the crisis. The study is based on extensive fieldwork that included surveys and interviews with key stakeholders in the definition of territorial strategies and dynamics in the Douro, such as sectoral political and technical agents, as well as vineyard and tourism managers and, of course, the residents, the main custodians of this heritage distinguished by UNESCO. In a context in which tourism is increasingly emphasised as a catalyst for revitalising regional development, what strategies have been adopted to ensure the conservation and competitiveness of the region, ensuring furthermore its sustainability? Using paradigmatic cases, it is clear that, in fact, the region has multiple potentialities that allow it to subsist and flourish, even in times of economic crisis.