In a study conducted by ISAG-EBS in collaboration with the Consuelo Vieira da Costa Foundation, more than half of residents of the Porto metropolitan area argue that tourism has positive effects on the city.
Only 4% of residents of the Porto Metropolitan Area (AMP) consider tourism to have a negative impact on the city of Porto. As an added value, they highlight the sector's ability to generate wealth and employment, attract investment and is now a key driver of the city's economic growth. However, they acknowledge that the move has an inflationary impact on prices charged for both business and housing, and therefore argue that local and central government should take steps to avoid price hikes. They also agree that government authorities should impose limits on the number of tourists.
These are some of the results of the study 'Economic Sustainability of Tourism in Porto' conducted by ISAG-European Business School (ISAG-EBS) in collaboration with the Business Science and Tourism Center of the Consuelo Vieira da Costa Foundation (CICET-FCVC) , which resulted from the use of questionnaire surveys and focused on a sample of 678 residents living in AMP paid
In a report, when responsible parties were asked their opinion on the overall impact of tourism on local development, only 3% of respondents felt that the sector had mainly negative effects and only 1% said that it had negative effects. For 44% of AMP residents, tourism has both positive and negative effects, with 26% saying it brings mainly positive effects. Another 25% argue that the sector brings only positive effects to the city.
Respondents were invited to rate the main contributions of the sector to Porto's economy on a scale of agreement from 1 to 5 values, considering it important in economic terms (4.35) as one of the main sources of income for development. (4.17) and the increase in population income is related to the growth of the sector (3.67).
They also highlight the potential of tourism in attracting investment (4.11) and creating jobs for local people (4.09), acknowledging that many people will lose their jobs due to a decline in activity (3.83). They consider that the increase in taxes associated with this sector contributes to an increase in public revenue (3.73) and that local people are motivated to create businesses in this sector (3.66).
As it is an economic activity, tourism also has some negative effects associated with it, the report says. Respondents agree that the sector has an inflationary impact on prices charged in the city (3.84), and they show a certain degree of disagreement with the statement that food and beverages (2.61) and local handicrafts are sold at reasonable prices (2.79). Products (2.56). They also disagreed that 'overall accommodation/housing is reasonable' (2.08).
In this sense, they argue that the government and/or municipality should take control measures to avoid inflation (4.25), protect the environment and protect tourism resources (3.94). They agree that limits should be imposed on the number of tourists in Porto (3.01).
In this study, the economic and tourism impact generated in Porto was evaluated based on a sample of 223 residents living in AMP or abroad. Within this universe, 77% said they were tourists in the city. They spent an average of 4.7 nights, with the majority choosing to stay in a hotel (56%), mainly 4-star (44%), 3-star (29%) and 5-star (21%). 21% of respondents spent the night in local accommodation, 11% at a friend's or family's home and another 11% at a hostel.
The main factors for choosing accommodation are mainly price (35%), recommendations from friends and family (21%) and reputation of the company (18%). Respondents reported spending an average of 690 euros per day during their stay. This amount includes accommodation expenses (294.85 euros per day), followed by purchases or gifts (116.62 euros per day), food (115.16 euros per day), cultural and leisure activities (98.49 euros per day) and finally, travel (66.57 euros). including per day).
In terms of activities carried out in the city, Porto's historic center (64%), heritage/monuments/museums (53%) and port wine cellars (41%), and gastronomic experiences (40%) were most mentioned. and wine taste (30.94%).
According to the survey data, the level of general satisfaction with the visit to the city was at 4.3 values, with about 90% of respondents saying they were satisfied or very satisfied. So it's understandable why 94% said they would recommend Porto to friends and family, and 90% said they would make a repeat visit.
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