Agritourism and Sustainable Development in the Baixo Alentejo Region: The Role of Public Policies

Sandra Bailoa (), Jorge Pires (), Joaquim Gomes () and Maria Isabel Valente ()
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Sandra Bailoa: Polytechnic Institute of Beja, CiTUR, CEOS.PP, Department of Business Sciences
Jorge Pires: Polytechnic Institute of Beja, CIEQV, ISTAR-IUL, Department of Business Sciences
Joaquim Gomes: Polytechnic Institute of Beja, Department of Business Sciences
Maria Isabel Valente: Polytechnic Institute of Beja, Department of Business Sciences

A chapter in Eurasian Business and Economics Perspectives, 2026, pp 295-313 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract This study aims to analyze the contribution of agritourism practices and the role of public policies to the sustainable development of Portuguese Baixo Alentejo region. The research defined a set of theoretical premises that assume that public policies and agritourism businesses contribute to the region’s economic, social, and environmental development. The adopted methodology follows a qualitative case study approach. A typological, non-statistical sample of six agritourism businesses was identified through the SABI database. To validate the theoretical premises, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the managers of these businesses. The analysis validated the premises related to economic, social e environmental development, and the premise related to public policies was partially validated. Results revealed a consensus on the environmental, economic and social contributions of agritourism, while perceptions regarding public policies revealed significant variability with the interviewees considering a weak contribution of these to sustainable development in the region. Despite the variability of some responses, the results suggest that agritourism and public policies contribute to sustainability in the Baixo Alentejo region. Nevertheless, the government’s contribution remains insufficient to support sustainable development fully.

Keywords: Agritourism; Sustainable development; Public policies; Rural areas; Baixo Alentejo (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:eurchp:978-3-032-10967-5_15

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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-10967-5_15

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