Strategic Issues in Portuguese Tourism Plans: An Analysis of National Strategic Plans since 2000

Abstract

Planning consists of thinking about the future and allows territories to be better prepared to take advantage of opportunities and face challenges that arise. In Portugal, tourism is one of the pillars of the economy, generating wealth and creating various job openings. In recent years, this destination has won several international awards and distinctions due to the quality of services and tourism offerings. Part of this success is due to the planning carried out by the entity responsible, Turismo de Portugal. This study aims to analyse the content and structure of national tourism plans implemented in Portugal since 2000. Furthermore, we want to understand: (1) the vision outlined for the Portuguese territory and the changes it has undergone in recent decades; (2) the methodologies that were used in the formation process of these plans, for instance, if public auscultation was used; (3) the main objectives defined for the territory and which were the actions that have been defined to achieve them. A qualitative methodology of document analysis was used, combined with the presentation of a case study related to tourism planning at a national level. The results show the growing importance of the tourism sector for the Portuguese economy. Since 2020, the growing involvement of stakeholders in the construction of strategic plans has also been evident through public consultation and an emphasis on sustainability practices in the tourism sector.

1. Introduction

Tourism has been gaining increasing importance in the global economy in general and particularly in European countries like Portugal [1]. At the turn of the century, from the 20th to the 21st, the tourism development model began to be guided by three major realities mentioned by Costa [2]: economic growth (there was a continuous growth of tourist activity, reinforced by the number of international arrivals that also continued to grow); global spread (tourism has spread to almost all countries, which discovered their potential in terms of growth and development); dynamisation of local economic bases (tourism is no longer understood as an activity restricted to the accommodation and catering subsectors, starting to incorporate other local economic activities, namely those related to entertainment and tourist animation). Indeed, over the last two decades, tourism has been an important sociocultural and economic activity of the country and is even considered the country’s largest export economic activity [3].

Tourism is treated as an export industry, though it is a non-standard type of export. The consumption of goods and services by foreign tourists fits the export model, where exports are goods and services that are produced in one country and sold to buyers from another country (in this case, the visitors). In 2019, travel and tourism represented 19.4% of Portuguese exports of goods and services, a number that has grown gradually and consistently since 2013 [4].

Accordingly, it influences the development process of many regions in the country and creates synergies with other economic and non-economic activities. However, if tourism is associated with various benefits, it can also affect people’s lives and their environments [5,6,7].

Strategic planning in the tourism sector is considered a tool of the environmental, economic, and social policy of a country. On the one hand, this leads to a more equative distribution of incomes and preserves the natural and man-made resources and traditions on which human prosperity is based [3]. On the other hand, it can contribute to reducing regional asymmetries and make the country more cohesive in terms of tourism development.

Planning consists of a “set of ideas and principles that seek to control the spatial distribution of human activities over time” [8] (p. 1). The drawing up of plans allows organisations and destinations to manage all their resources in a way that could benefit many stakeholders. In the area of tourism, planning assumes crucial importance for organisations and destinations given the impacts (positives but also negatives) of tourism activity on the communities where the activity takes place. Tourism planning also helps to sustain a more satisfied tourism market [9,10]. Indeed, this activity is recognised by various authors as an essential condition for successful tourism development and management [9,10,11]. As Williams states, “in the absence of planning there are evident risks that tourism development will become unregulated, formless or haphazard, inefficient and likely to lead directly to a range of negative economic, social and environmental impacts” [12] (p. 125).

Although (tourism) planning “is an extremely ambiguous and difficult word to define” [9] (p. 6), the pioneering work of Murphy defines tourism planning as “anticipating and regulating change in a system to promote orderly development so as to increase social, economic and environmental benefits of the development process” [13] (p. 156). Yet public tourism planning can be understood as a potential tool for guiding tourism actions in such a way as to create benefits and well-being beyond the industry [11] and tourism destinations [14]. During the last four decades, more precisely after the eighties, the concept of sustainability has gained a preponderant and essential weight in tourism development. More than in other times, tourism planning requires an understanding of the meaning of sustainable development and the guiding values for promoting sustainable tourism [2,15]. Accordingly, it requires that communities be made to be sufficiently aware of the tourism industry and its impacts, as well as the diverse processes to integrate and engage in participatory planning, consensus building and conflict resolution between all stakeholders [15]. This participation is essential in developing countries but also crucial in developed countries [16], such as Portugal, where some regions are in the process of a demographic and socio-economic decline.

The aim of this study is to analyse the content and structure of national tourism plans that have been implemented in Portugal since the beginning of the 21st century and which have guided national strategy throughout the new millennium. Based on this aim, the intention is to answer the following questions: What vision is outlined for the Portuguese territory, and what changes has it undergone in recent decades? What methodologies were used in constructing the plans? Was there a concern with hearing the public? What are the main objectives defined for the territory? What actions have been defined to achieve them?

To this end, a qualitative methodology of document analysis of the five major strategic plans developed in Portugal was used. This paper is structured in six parts. After this initial section (Introduction), Section 2 contains information about materials and methods, namely the methodological procedures used and the contextualisation of the case study. Section 3 is about the presentation of the results and is organised into five subtopics, each one related to one of the five phases of the strategic planning process. In Section 4, the discussion of the results is presented, while in Section 5, the managerial and political implications of the study are described. Finally, in Section 6, the main results of the study are summarised, and their limitations are pointed out, as well as paths for future research.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Methodology

The aim of the present study is to analyse tourism planning in Portugal as a case study. As stated by Scott, the focus on a particular geographical case study is the major strategy used to analyse studies on tourism policy [17].

A case study can often imply a diverse range of methods [18]. However, document analysis is particularly applicable to case studies [19] since it can produce rich descriptions of a phenomenon or programme. According to Liasidou, “document analysis helps in understanding and identifying what was said or written versus what was applied to shed light on the historic development of tourism” [20] (p. 77). Additionally, these documents are not only an essential source of information concerning the reaction and perspectives of the government but also the various stakeholders as the main actors in the tourism industry [21,22]. In other words, these documents also reflect the role of successful networks and cooperation with different stakeholders as a vital part of the development of such policies [23]. Therefore, in order to analyse the content and structure of national tourism plans that have been implemented in Portugal since the beginning of the 21st century and that have guided national strategy throughout the new millennium, it was developed a methodological procedure that comprises four interrelated stages (see Figure 1).

In the first stage of the process, the authors of the study identified the strategic tourism plans implemented in the country in the new millennium. To this end, several electronic sources were consulted, particularly those related to Turismo de Portugal (the National Tourist Authority responsible for the promotion, enhancement, and sustainability of tourist activity. It brings together in a single entity all the institutional competencies concerning the promotion of tourism, from supply to demand). This process resulted in the identification of five major tourist plans in Portugal.

In the second stage of the process, an Excel spreadsheet was created, and a new database was built with the following five strategic phases suggested by Alves [24]: 1. Organisation; 2. analysis and diagnosis; 3. strategy formulation; 4. action plan; 5. implementation and monitoring. There are several potential applications for planning; however, the nature of the planning process is fairly uniform [11]. For this research, the authors followed the five strategic phases suggested by Alves [24] (see Figure 2).

In the third stage, inspired by previous works by Ruhanen [25], Liasidou [20] and Nichols et al. [26], an instrument was designed to analyse the contents of tourism plans with 15 items divided into five sections (corresponding to the phases of strategic planning) (see

Table 1. Instrument used in plan analysis.

Sections	Items
Organisation	Plan of coordinating entity Methodology and techniques used Stakeholders involved
2. Analysis and diagnosis	SWOT analysis Benchmarking analysis Diagnosis of the current tourist situation
3. Strategy formulation	Vision Values Scenario construction Definition of strategic objectives (how many and what) Hierarchy of objectives and lines of action
4. Action plan	Existence of the action plan Definition of projects (scheduling, indicators, …)
5. Implementation and monitoring	Observations on the implementation of the plan Observations on plan monitoring

Source: Own elaboration.

).

Using the same technique used by Collins-Kreiner and Ramb [27], in the fourth stage, each national plan was analysed descriptively and qualitatively in accordance with the items presented in Table 1. The analysis was based on evaluation by the two authors using a yes/no categorical ranking, with additional notes on information that seemed pertinent to the analysis of the results [27].

2.2. Tourism Planning in Portugal: Study Case Contextualisation

To talk about the history of tourism planning in Portugal, it is not necessary to go back a long way. The first strategic plan specifically dedicated to the tourism sector was created only at the end of the 1980s—the National Tourism Plan—and was implemented between 1986 and 1989. This document aimed to affirm tourism as a strategic sector for the revival of the Portuguese economy and sought to eliminate existing imbalances. The main topics addressed in this pioneering plan were tourism planning, spa tourism animation, administrative structure, training of human resources, investments, and tourism promotion [28].

During the 1990s, there was no strategic plan dedicated exclusively to the tourism sector. There were economic development plans and regional development plans which referred to tourism but did not highlight its importance in the national context.

In 2007, the National Strategic Plan for Tourism (also known by PENT) was created, and from then on, the Portuguese government, with the support of Turismo de Portugal, started to design and implement national plans for tourism. This document had a horizon of seven years (2007–2015) and established a set of objectives, policies, and initiatives with the objective of pursuing sustained growth for national tourism [28]. During this period, the document underwent two revisions, the first in 2011 and the second in 2013. The plan was structured on five strategic axes: (1) territory, destinations, and products: new products and tourist attraction centres; (2) brands and markets: development of brands and new markets; (3) qualification of human resources: qualification of human resources, services and destinations; (4) distribution and marketing: tourist promotion; and (5) innovation and knowledge: integration of innovations and knowledge management [29].

In 2015, two complementary documents were developed and published: Tourism 2020: Action Plan for Tourism Development in Portugal [30] and Tourism 2020: Five Principles for an Ambition [31]. Both documents targeted the year 2020 and “tried to identify priorities for the use of community funds for the 2014–2020 programming period” [3] (p. 362). The document entitled Tourism 2020: Action Plan for Tourism Development in Portugal is structured around five strategic objectives, which are: (1) attract: qualification and enhancement of the territory and its distinctive tourist resources; (2) compete: strengthening the competitiveness and internationalisation of tourism companies; (3) enabling: capacity building, training and research and development in tourism; (4) communicate: promotion and commercialisation of tourism in the country and regions; and (5) cooperate: strengthening international cooperation [30]. In the other plan, Tourism 2020: Five Principles for an Ambition, as the name implies, five principles were defined to achieve an ambition: “We have defined five principles that are harmoniously aligned to fulfil the ambition of transforming Portugal into the most agile and dynamic destination in Europe: Person, Freedom, Openness, Knowledge and Collaboration.” [31] (p. 49).

The document that is currently in force is the Tourism Strategy 2027, published in 2017. This plan “is based on a long-term vision, combined with short-term action, allowing for more strategic action in the present and being part of the future European support framework 2021–2027.” [32] (p. 12). There are five strategic axes that guide this document, which are: (1) valuing the territory; (2) boosting the economy; (3) enhancing knowledge; (4) generating networks and connectivity; and (5) promoting Portugal. In this document, the national commitment to sustainability issues was already clear, but it became more evident during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic [32].

In 2021, in the middle of the pandemic crisis, Turismo de Portugal launched a new strategic document, the aim of which is not to replace but to complement the existing document [33]. The +Sustainable Tourism Plan 2020–2023 is also currently in place and is developed around four axes of action: (1) structuring an increasingly sustainable offer; (2) qualifying agents in the sector; (3) promoting Portugal as a sustainable destination; and (4) monitoring sustainability metrics [33].

3. Results

3.1. Organisation

This first phase of the planning process is structural [24]. Here the indication of the entity responsible for the elaboration and implementation of the plan is given, which in this case study is always the same, Turismo de Portugal. In this first planning phase, the stakeholders involved in defining the strategy and the methodologies used to build the plan are also mentioned. Of the various methodologies used in the strategic planning of tourism, there is one that deserves to be highlighted, the consultation of public and private agents operating in the territories in question (see

Table 2. Methodologies used in tourism strategic plans.

Tourism Plans	Methodologies Used
PENT—National Strategic Plan for Tourism (2007)	Not mentioned in the document.
Tourism 2020: Action Plan for Tourism Development in Portugal 2014–2020	Document analysis (study of trends; community and national documents; plans, programmes, and regional strategies). Interaction and dialogue with agents (conferences, technical workshops, meetings/work sessions). Public consultation (public and private institutions from different sectors of activity).
Tourism 2020: Five Principles for an Ambition	Documentary analysis: survey and analysis of several key documents, namely international studies and reports (UNWTO and IMF); community guidelines and regulations (European Commission); national strategic references; and regional documents. Participation and collective consultation: involving the dimensions of territorial valorisation, human resources qualification, companies’ competitiveness, tourism promotion and international cooperation. The consultation process included several national, regional, and local actors and from different sectors of activity with influence on the tourist development of the country and regions.
Tourism Strategy 2027	Public consultation: Technological platforms and website: online participation through questionnaires. Focus groups with more than 80 participants. Strategic tourism laboratories/public sessions held in all regions of the country, involving more than 1400 participants.
+Sustainable Tourism Plan 2020–2023	Public consultation to collect suggestions and contributions, among tourism players and other public entities, associations, and citizens. 106 participations were collected: public administration (14); academia/schools (2); associations (31); companies (31) and citizens (28).

Source: Own elaboration.

).

Opinion canvassing processes are present in almost all analysed plans. This action can include different techniques, such as conducting individual interviews, participating in informal meetings, conducting online surveys, or focus groups, among others.

3.2. Analysis and Diagnosis

The second phase of strategic planning is a phase of great technical rigour and scientific depth [24]. It is here that an analysis of the macro and microenvironment of the territory and/or company will be carried out, externally evaluating the opportunities and threats and internally its strengths and weaknesses. Often this task comes in the form of a SWOT analysis.

On the other hand, at this stage, some key themes that are important for the object of analysis must be identified, and data on these themes must be presented. In the present study, since the object of analysis is national tourism plans, the data presented is about the evolution of demand, analysis of competition, and trends that may affect the sector.

In the PENT—National Strategic Plan for Tourism, the analysis and diagnosis can be found in the first chapter, which is dedicated to the state of tourism in Portugal. Here an economic contextualisation of the sector is made since this is one of the most important for the national economy. A summary of the evolution of the sector follows, in which demand data are presented (main outbound markets, evolution of the number of tourists and overnight stays). Finally, a list is presented with the main opportunities and challenges that at the time (in 2007) were significant for the sector, such as: “acceleration of growth in the number of international tourists worldwide; aging of the European population; increase in do-it-yourself (DIY) and decrease in organised trips; low-cost development; transformation of business models (importance of the internet)” [29] (pp. 35–43).

In the second plan analysed (Tourism 2020: Action Plan for Tourism Development in Portugal 2014–2020), we find Chapter 3 dedicated to “Prospective diagnosis: major international trends, trends in Portugal, tourism in the regions”. The major international trends identified are divided into five groups: demographic and sociocultural, economic, environmental, technological, and transport. The work is presented in a very interesting way as trends are identified for each of the groups, and then a list of possible consequences for the tourism sector is provided. The chapter continues with the presentation of various statistical data on the evolution of tourism in Portugal, revealing data that allow us to compare Portugal with some of its main competitors (e.g., Spain and France) and that show the evolution and growth of tourism in the territory [30].

The plan Tourism 2020: Five Principles for an Ambition was designed at the same time as the previous one. Both were published in 2015 and are limited to the year 2020, so the information available in the chapter on analysis and diagnosis is very similar, and in some cases, the points are even the same, for example, with regard to the analysis of world trends. In this chapter, statistical data can be found regarding the tourist supply and demand of the territory, emphasizing the growth of the sector. Finally, it is possible to find a complete SWOT analysis [31] (pp. 38–39).

In Tourism Strategy 2027, the analysis and diagnosis is presented in an original way, divided into two chapters. First comes the chapter “Where are we?—The performance of tourism in Portugal”, where information about the evolution of tourism in the decade 2005–2015 is presented. Additionally, in this chapter, the presentation of “Tourism today—2016” is made with reference to current data (for the time of construction of the plan) and ends with the presentation of a SWOT analysis, where “positive and negative elements of the tourism value chain in Portugal, over the last decade”, are stated [32] (pp. 41–42). The next chapter, “Changes, Outlooks and Challenges”, is the culmination of the analysis of the tourism sector and suggests some elements that will be important for the definition of the strategy (see Figure 3), which is the next phase of the plan.

Regarding the most recent plan, +Sustainable Tourism Plan 2020–2023, as it complements the current strategy and is a medium-term plan (three years), the analysis and diagnosis phase was not greatly developed. It only has an initial chapter, entitled “Framework”, where the motivation for creating the document is explained. The creation of this plan is based on two components: (1) the growing importance of sustainability for the tourism sector and the need to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030; and (2) the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic that had major impacts on the tourism sector [33].

3.3. Strategy Formulation

The third phase of strategic planning is related to the formulation of strategies, that is, the “definition of the territory model that the community wants for the coming years, and the way to achieve it” [24] (p. 35).

One of the fundamental elements for the formulation of strategy is the definition of the vision of the territory. According to Bibri and Krogstie, “future vision construction is about identifying the desired future state, which consists of vibrant descriptions of audacious goals and targets, as well as reflective statements addressing the aspired future” [34] (p. 6). It is critical that the vision provides a clear direction of what image the destination wants to project and that it facilitates the establishment of strategic priorities. Figure 4 shows the evolution of the vision defined for the Portuguese territory in the last two decades.

As can be seen, the vision of the territory has undergone slight changes over the years, but there are two aspects that mark and accompany the various documents: the first one is related to the growth of the tourism sector, and the importance of this activity for the national economy; the second aspect is the growing concern with sustainability and its implementation in the territory.

Still, in this third phase, it is common to see one of the most important elements in strategic planning, the definition of objectives and lines of action.

Table 3. Evolution of strategy formulation in Portuguese tourism plans (in the 21st century).

Tourism Plans	Values/Strategic Assets	Objectives/Pillars/Axes/Strategic Goals	Lines of Action/Lines of Strategic Development
PENT—National Strategic Plan for Tourism (2007)	Differentiating elements: climate and light; history, culture and tradition; hospitality Concentrated diversity. Qualifying elements: modern authenticity, safety and excellence in the quality/price ratio.	Annual growth in the number of international tourists above 5% and in revenues above 9%. Lisbon, Algarve, and Porto e Norte with the highest absolute contribution to growth. Annual growth of national tourism in the order of 2.5%, promoting the sustainable development of regions and centres and combating seasonality. Increase in the sector’s contribution to the economy, constituting itself as one of the main drivers of growth in the Portuguese economy.	- International markets: Bet on attracting tourists (four lines of action). - Product strategy: consolidate and develop 10 strategic tourism products ((i) sun and sea, (ii) cultural and landscape touring, (iii) city break, (iv) business tourism, (v) tourism of nature, (vi) nautical tourism, (vii) health and well-being, (viii) golf, (ix) resorts and residential tourism and (x) gastronomy and wines) (10 lines of action). - Guidelines for the seven regions (eight lines of action). - Air accessibility (seven lines of action). - Events (four lines of action). - Enrichment of the offer (four lines of action). - Urban, environmental and landscape quality (one line of action). - Quality of service and human resources (three lines of action). - Promotion and distribution (five lines of action). - Effectiveness and modernisation of the performance of public and private agents (four lines of action).
Tourism 2020: Action Plan for Tourism Development in Portugal 2014–2020	Authenticity Hospitality: people History and culture: cultural heritage Tourist services: companies Sea and nature: natural heritage Knowledge: education and R&D institutions	Attract: qualification and enhancement of the territory and its distinctive tourist resources. Compete: strengthening the competitiveness and internationalisation of tourism companies. Enable: training and R&D in tourism. Communicate: promotion and commercialisation of the tourist offerings in the country and regions. Cooperate: strengthening international cooperation.	- Attract (six investment priorities) - Compete (six investment priorities) - Empower (six investment priorities) - Communicate (six investment priorities) - Cooperate (three investment priorities)
Tourism 2020: Five Principles for an Ambition	Five principles: person, freedom, openness, knowledge, and collaboration.	A sustainable and quality destination. A destination for competitive companies An entrepreneurial destination. A destination connected to the world. An effectively managed destination. A destination that makes a mark.	- A sustainable and quality destination (six action assumptions plus nine lines of action, which in turn unfold into multiple actions). - A destination for competitive companies (six action assumptions plus five lines of action, which in turn unfold into multiple actions). - An entrepreneurial destination (six action assumptions plus four lines of action, which in turn unfold into multiple actions). - A destination connected to the world (six action assumptions plus six lines of action, which in turn unfold into multiple actions). - An effectively managed destination (6 action assumptions plus five lines of action, which in turn unfold into multiple actions). - A destination that makes a mark (six action assumptions plus seven lines of action, which in turn unfold into multiple actions).
Tourism Strategy 2027	Single cross-sectional asset: people. Differentiating assets: climate and light; history and culture; sea; nature; water. Qualifying assets: food and wine; artistic-cultural, sports and business events. Emerging assets: well-being; living in Portugal.	Add value to the territory. Drive the economy. Leverage knowledge. Generate networks and connectivity. Raise Portugal’s profile. People at the heart of the tourism strategy (residents, tourists, and professionals).	- Add value to the territory (six lines of action). - Drive the economy (five lines of action). - Leverage knowledge (five lines of action). - Generate networks and connectivity (five lines of action). - Raise Portugal’s profile (four lines of action).
+Sustainable Tourism Plan 2020–2023	Contribute towards achieving the goals of 2027 Tourism Strategy. Strengthen the role of Tourism in the 17 United Nations SDGs. Promote energy transition and the circular economy for tourism companies. Involve stakeholders in a joint commitment to transform supply and sustainability of the destinations. Stimulate a change of attitude throughout the sector’s value chain.	Structure an increasingly sustainable supply (unfold into eight objectives). Qualify tourism professionals (unfold into five objectives). Promote Portugal as a sustainable destination (unfold into five objectives). Monitor sustainability metrics in tourism (unfold into two objectives).	The plan includes 119 actions distributed by the four axes of action: Axis I—Structure: 11 areas and 80 actions. Axis II—Qualify: one area and 17 actions. Axis III—Promote: three areas and 13 actions. Axis IV—Monitor: two areas and nine actions.

Source: Own elaboration.

shows the internal organisation of each of the analysed plans, with the respective definition of objectives, values, and the respective unfold into lines of action.

Two of the main indicators used to measure the performance of the sector and which are present in tourism plans are overnight stays and tourism revenue. From plan to plan, the defined objectives grew continuously, were increasingly ambitious, and were always met, with the exception of the period 2020–2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Regarding overnight stays, the first plan (PENT) aimed to reach 43.5 million global overnight stays in the country in 2015 [29]. It is known that the values for 2015 exceeded those previously established, having reached a value of 48.9 million overnight stays [32]. For the year 2020, the value of 56.9 million [29] was predicted, and everything indicated that this value would be largely surpassed since the official data for 2019 revealed 70.1 million overnight stays [4]. However, as an effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, Portugal registered a sharp drop in demand, to 25.9 million overnight stays (−63.0%) in tourist accommodation compared to 2019 (a return to the overnight stay values observed in 1994). For 2027, the deadline for the 2027 Tourism Strategy, the goal is to reach 80 million overnight stays [32].

Regarding revenue, the scenario is similar to that previously described. In the year the PENT was published (2006), the revenue amount was 6.9 million euros, and it was expected to reach 10.3 million euros in 2015 [29]. That year, the value reached 11.5 billion euros [32], a value much higher than expected. In 2019, tourism revenue was 18.4 billion euros [4], a value that guaranteed that the target set for 2020 of 13.3 billion euros [30] would be easily achieved. However, due to the pandemic situation, the values were different. In revenues, the decrease (−57.6%) compared to 2019 meant a loss of 10 billion euros for the economy in 2020. The ambition for 2027 is to reach 26 billion euros [32].

3.4. Action Plan

The previous phase serves the purpose of defining the vision for the territory, the strategic objectives and the lines of action that will guide future development, while the action plan serves to materialise these decisions through the definition of action programmes and projects [24]. In the analysis carried out on the national tourism plans, it was found that the action plan often appears intertwined with other parts of the planning, and it is common to appear associated with the part of implementation and monitoring.

In the case of the PENT—National Strategic Plan for Tourism, as soon as the chapter referring to the formulation of the strategy ends, the implementation programme is presented, which is one of the examples in which phases 4 and 5 of the planning process appear together. Here it is mentioned that the strategic plan will be implemented considering 11 projects. An explanation of the scope of intervention of the projects follows, a graphic indicating the impact and complexity is presented, and a scheme with the expected timetable for each of the interventions is given. These are some of the elements that should be included in an action plan. Alves [24] mentions that sometimes the strategic plans include project sheets, which facilitate the understanding of the projects, the actions that will be undertaken, measurement indicators and ways of financing the actions. In this plan, these sheets can be found in the annexes between pages 117 and 133 [29].

As for the Tourism 2020: Action Plan for Tourism Development in Portugal 2014–2020, as soon as phase 3 (strategy formulation) ends, the chapter “Management and Monitoring Model” appears immediately, with no reference to the action plan. There is, however, an explanation for the readers: “the projects included in this strategic reference constitute a recognition, in general, of their framework and contribution to the strategic objectives of the Tourism Action Plan 2020. (…) It is also important to highlight that this document is a “living” open plan and, therefore, will integrate other projects in the future” [30] (p. 166).

Something similar happens in the document Tourism 2020: Five Principles for an Ambition, where there is no reference to the actions that normally form part of the action plan. Only in the final part of the plan does a paragraph appear that refers to the monitoring process.

In Tourism Strategy 2027, the action plan is once again included in the chapter titled “Implementation”. The following explanation is given in the document: “The present chapter lists the types of priority projects for developing tourism in the country as a whole and in the regions in particular, thereby fulfilling its role as the short/medium-term strategic guideline for Tourism Strategy 2027” [32] (p. 59). This description fits the definition of an action plan given by Alves [24]. In the document’s following pages, tables are presented with the description of the priority projects; however, there is no timetable for the actions nor the indicators that will allow the assessment of the correct implementation of the projects.

In the most recent plan, +Sustainable Tourism Plan 2020–2023, it appears that the action plan is merged into Chapter 3, where the 119 actions to be developed are presented. The procedure applies to all 119 actions. First, the presentation of the action appears (see the example in Figure 5) and then the concrete actions to be implemented, the indicators that will allow the evaluation of their implementation and the scheduling (see the example in Figure 6).

3.5. Implementation and Monitoring

The last phase of strategic planning is described by Alves as being a transition between the drawing up of the plan and its execution [24]. For strategic documents to be more than a mere exercise in reflection and effectively contribute to the transformation of territories, it is necessary to understand their practical application and address implementation and evaluation actions [35]. To carry out this monitoring, it is necessary to identify which indicators will enable the evaluation of the process and which agents are involved in the process, that is, the entities responsible for monitoring the implementation of the plan.

In the National Strategic Plan for Tourism (2007), it is mentioned that:

implementation should be based on a structure composed of a monitoring steering—which should monitor the project implementation process, approve proposed measures for the recovery of delays and ensure the involvement of various entities—and a Programme Management—composed of a team dedicated exclusively to the management of the Programme, with the mission of controlling the execution in terms of objectives, time and budget [29] (p. 114).

The importance of involving partners in the sector throughout this process is also mentioned.

In Tourism 2020: Action Plan for Tourism Development in Portugal 2014–2020, the implementation and monitoring of the plan will be carried out by the managing entity (Turismo de Portugal); also by a superior council, a high-level body of a strategic nature composed of a limited number of entities in central areas for tourism in the country and regions; and by a monitoring commission, a body made up of several entities from different sectors of activity in different regions, which aims to promote the dynamism of projects to achieve the objectives of the tourism plan.

Consulting the document Tourism 2020: Five Principles for an Ambition, it can be seen that there is not much information about this phase. It is only said that:

Turismo de Portugal is the competent entity for the preparation of an annual action plan that includes the annual and multi-annual measures to be developed within the scope of compliance with this document and identifies its timetable and those responsible for it. The plan must be submitted to the tourism authority for approval by 30 November of each year. At least one biannual meeting should be held, with the active participation of relevant partners to reflect on tourism themes [31] (p. 111).

The last chapter of Tourism Strategy 2027 is dedicated to the “Monitoring and Management Model”. Here a reference is made to the entities involved in this monitoring process, which are [32] (p. 67):

(1) Turismo de Portugal as the national tourism authority is responsible for coordinating and invigorating Tourism Strategy 2027 and promoting its implementation; ensuring consistency between tourism investments and community financing instruments; and mobilizing stakeholders and monitoring the strategy.

(2) Strategic tourism laboratories (STL): these are ongoing consultation platforms for the territories and markets for implementing projects and measures for Tourism Strategy 2027. The STL shall take place in different regions of the country, to take into account the specifics of each territory. STL shall also be held in external markets (where tour operators, travel agents, and opinion leaders in the market will be heard), considering international dynamics and their implications.

(3) National Tourism Forum: a space for discussion and debate regarding tourism in the country as a whole and in its regions in particular; sharing of good practices (projects and initiatives) related to the strategic priorities; report on the degree of implementation of Tourism Strategy 2027; and formulation of recommendations for short-/medium-term action.

Additionally, in the tourism strategic plan, +Sustainable Tourism Plan 2020–2023, the last chapter (5. Management and monitoring) is dedicated to this planning phase. Here the organisations are presented that will be part of this mission to contribute to the monitoring and implementation of the plan, namely Turismo de Portugal (as the coordinating entity) and multiple entities and groups working as dynamic agents: Confederation of Turismo de Portugal; business associations and companies; regional tourism authorities; the Regional Directorates for Tourism of Azores and Madeira; regional tourism promotion agencies; NEST—Tourism Innovation Centre; local, regional and central government bodies; national and international entities of different natures, working in the field of sustainability; and academic bodies [33].

4. Discussion

Fifteen years after the launch of the first strategic plan analysed in this study, four considerations can be pointed out. The first one lays emphasis on the purpose of the strategy. Indeed in the PENT—National Strategic Plan for Tourism, one of the biggest concerns was the definition of 10 tourist products ((i) sun and sea, (ii) cultural and landscape touring, (iii) city break, (iv) business tourism, (v) tourism of nature, (vi) nautical tourism, (vii) health and well-being, (viii) golf, (ix) resorts and residential tourism, and (x) gastronomy and wines) and their importance for each of the seven Portuguese regions. This strategic plan was based on the differentiating elements: climate and light; history, culture, and tradition; hospitality; and resources of the country.

In the two tourism plans that Turismo de Portugal published in 2015 (Tourism 2020: Action Plan, which had the purpose of identifying priorities for the use of community funds for the period 2014–2020; and Tourism 2020: Five Principles for an Ambition), the purpose is quite different: Particularly in the latter, the plan is distinguished from the PENT—National Strategic Plan for Tourism by aiming at an ambition based on the private sector of tourism, an influence of the philosophy of the useful parties of the government, which defined an ambition of competitiveness for Portugal and five principles/values that allow its concretisation: person, liberty, openness, knowledge, and collaboration [3].

In turn, Tourism Strategy 2027, published in 2017, based its strategy on the definition of four major types of different values/activities: (i) single cross-sectional asset: people; (ii) differentiating assets: climate and light; history and culture; sea; nature; water; (iii) qualifying assets: food and wine; artistic cultural, sports and business events; (iv) emerging assets: well-being; living in Portugal [32]. Another difference between this strategy and the previous one was the focus on people (residents, tourists, and professionals). Indeed, without the intertwining of the three stakeholders, it will not be possible to develop a concerted tourism strategy.

Finally, with the last defined plan, +Sustainable Tourism Plan 2020–2023, launched in 2021, as suggested by its name, sustainability has acquired growing attention. The intention is concentrated on strengthening the role of tourism in the 17 United Nations SDGs.

The second consideration that deserves attention is the growing intervention of private entities in the planning process. In fact, in the PENT—National Strategic Plan for Tourism, no reference to public and private intervention is made. Conversely, this participation is evident (and even grows) in the next published plans. The documents launched in the following years (2015, 2017, and 2021) were built based on public consultation with different stakeholders: regional entities of tourism, regional agencies of tourism promotion, sectoral associations, intermunicipal communities, schools and academia agents, and individuals [30,31,32,33]. This means that Turismo de Portugal recognised the importance of the involvement of all the stakeholders in the promotion and concretisation of the aforementioned plans. As suggested by Saito and Ruhanen [36] and Ilies et al. [37], it is not the government alone nor a single tourism organisation that can develop a successful tourism destination. Instead, the increasing importance of collaboration and particularly coopetition (which combines collaboration and competition) within a major tourism destination (national scale) and also among smaller destinations (regions, cities, and villages [36] are acknowledged.

Third, the focus on entrepreneurship and innovation is also growing, which corroborates the relationship between entrepreneurship and the economic growth of the country/region [38,39]. Indeed, few references are made in the first strategic plan analysed, while in the following plans, the references to entrepreneurship and/or innovation have increased, reaching their peak in the last two strategies—Tourism Strategy 2027 and +Sustainable Tourism Plan 2020–2023. It is important to look upon and recognise Portugal as a point of international reference in entrepreneurship and in the production of co-creative goods and services for tourism [32] by developing solutions oriented towards the challenges of sustainability by innovation ecosystems in tourism [33].

Last but not least, the concept of sustainability in tourism gains considerable attention in the five strategic plans. Sustainability is a topic that is currently being discussed and is constantly adapting since it is related not only to an environmental dimension but also to an economic and sociocultural perspective that leads to the development of nations [40,41]. Awareness of sustainability principles has led governments, and also international development agencies, trade associations, academic institutions, and non-governmental organisations, to acknowledge that without sustainability, it is not possible to reach development that can bring benefits to all the stakeholders and that can solve serious and urgent problems in regions where tourism takes place [42]. Moreover, it is also recognised that sustainable tourism is not applicable to just one certain type of tourism but rather that all forms of tourism should strive to be more sustainable [43]. The attention related to sustainable tourism reached its peak in the last strategic document entitled +Sustainable Tourism Plan 2020–2023. As previously mentioned, the vision of this plan is “to position Portugal as one of the world’s most sustainable, competitive and safe tourist destinations, through the sustainable planning and development of tourist activities, from an economic, social and environmental point of view” [33] (p. 3).

5. Political and Managerial Implications

There are several challenges that tourist destinations face, such as trying to stand out from the competition, ensuring the safeguarding of heritage, promoting the destination, combating seasonality, adapting to new technologies, and following practices related to the various dimensions of sustainability (environmental, economic, and sociocultural). More recently, other concerns have emerged on a global scale, such as the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent war in Ukraine.

From 2010 to 2019, “tourism has experienced a golden age in Europe” (p.10), with a steady growth in tourist arrivals and tourism receipts. [44]. In 2019, the tourism industry was a major economic tool, accounting for 9.5% of the European economy and creating over 11% of employment [44]. Portugal was not an exception. In economic terms, tourism receipts accounted for 8.6% of GDP and 19.7% of global exports, reinforcing the positioning of tourism as the country’s main export activity [45]. In the same year (2019), Portugal was the twelfth most competitive tourist destination in the world, considering 140 countries [4]. Additionally, in 2019, Portugal was among the Top 10 European destinations in terms of international tourist arrivals (8th position) and tourism receipts (7th position) [44].

The COVID-19 crisis brought severe impacts and consequences on tourist destinations and their communities. By April and May 2020, more than 150 destinations worldwide closed their borders, bringing international travel to nearly a complete stop [44]. As a result of these restrictions, government impositions and the generalised insecurity of the population, international tourist arrivals dropped by 73% in 2020 and by 72% in 2021 compared to 2019 levels [46]. In Portugal, the pandemic period brought several problems, such as the decline in overnight stays (in December 2020, 45% of the hotels were closed in Portugal) [4]. Regarding income, all five Regional Areas of Tourism and the two Autonomous Regions show an evolution with very low profits in the 2020–2021 period [4].

Thus, from a political point of view and for managerial implications, policy tools should be sensitive and appropriate to the conditions and tendencies that affect tourism activity in the development of strategic plans and the concerns related to sustainability and innovation, which must be part of the purpose of any strategic plan [47]. As Capistrano and Notorio notice, “tourism policy reflects decisions and practices by governments in collaboration with private or social actors to achieve diverse objectives related to tourism” [48] (p. 135).

In this sense, regional political authorities should follow strategies which include establishing a co-creation culture of tourism. This requires a growing link between tourism entrepreneurs, people, tourists, academia, and public and private entities in order to foster venture performance and affirmation of tourism across the country, including in the most interior and less central regions [49]. In the last decade, it was possible to observe a shift in the promotion strategies adopted by Turismo de Portugal. The national tourism board chose not only to be present at international tourism events for international promotion but also bet on a more intern dynamisation. Some of the promotion actions include the invitation of influencers, travel bloggers, and travel agents, among other players, to develop fam trips and the consolidation of DMCs (Destination Management Companies) in the promotion of tourist destinations in Portugal.

6. Conclusions

National-level planning of tourism aims, in many countries, such as Portugal, to identify a set of objectives that intend to develop this sector through the definition of policies and strategies that could fulfil this intention [3]. Considering the analysis of the five strategic tourism plans developed in Portugal since the beginning of the 21st century, some important contributions of this work can be pointed out. First, it underlines the importance of public participation in the planning process, development, and implementation of the plans. In fact, without this involvement, many stakeholders, including civil society, will not be satisfied with the process and the results achieved. In tourism planning, public participation has become increasingly prominent [42]. The main purpose of this participation is to maximise the positive impacts of this activity and protect local communities from tourism’s adverse impacts [3,50]. As Costa claimed, models and governance cannot be isolated into two separate areas [51].

The second aspect that deserves to be highlighted is the power of entrepreneurship/innovation combined with sustainability on the affirmation of Portugal as a top touristic destination. Guaranteeing sustainable and innovative tourism implies stakeholders in the tourism sector continuously adopting innovative and sustainable practices. Innovation and sustainability in tourism are not whims but obligations. This will lead to product differentiation and to higher levels of cooperation, growth, and progress in terms of attractiveness and visitor loyalty in the future [52].

Thirdly, it can be seen in the analysis of the plans that tourism is an important engine of development for all regions of the country (even the less developed and the interior ones) and not just for the most famous regions, such as the Algarve, Lisbon, and Madeira. Additionally, the focus has been on diversifying the offer, not only in terms of territory but also in terms of tourism products. Tourism in Portugal is best known for its sun and sea products, but the country has much more to offer, especially in rural areas (which correspond to the largest area of the country). This explains, for instance, the increasing interest in other relevant products, such as rural tourism and wine tourism [44]. This new tendency to diversify tourism in Portugal has led to the growing promotion of the country as a whole and the development of interior and lagging regions, as announced by diverse public and private authorities. The authors believe that in the near future, every tourism plan will have to involve the population in the formation process. One of the most important missions of these documents is to promote tourism development in the territories, as well as innovation and sustainability practices in the sector, while also betting on the diversification of the tourist offerings within the regions/country.

This study has some limitations, which the authors believe can be a guide for future research. First, the analysis was only performed with secondary data, particularly on national tourism plans developed in Portugal. So, an interesting path for future research will be to extend the study to other strategic plans from different scales, such as the documents designed by regional entities located in the seven sub-regions: North, Centre, Lisbon, Alentejo, Algarve, Madeira, and Azores. Second, the study is only based on documentary analysis. So, one interesting path for future research would be an empirical study, integrating a qualitative technique with interviews with diverse agents (stakeholders) responsible for the creation and implementation of the strategic plans.