EL TURISMO EN EL DESARROLLO ECONÓMICO DE LOS PARQUES NATURALES ANDALUCES. UN ANÁLISIS DELPHI DE LOS PRINCIPALES DÉFICIT

Abstract

The scientific literature agrees on the importance of tourism as a tool for economic development in sites nearby protected natural areas. In particular, focus is put on natural parks since they have more permissive protection schemes for the development of certain productive activities. However, environmental institutions, which oversee the management and protection of these territories, seem to be unaware of this situation and they do not play a proactive role in managing tourism. Despite this fact, the demand for nature based tourism has been rising above average for more than a decade. It is widely assumed that it should be an opportunity for the development of disadvantaged areas dependent upon agriculture, less competitive and with decreasing populations. So, initiatives for the active planning and management of tourism development of these areas are to be adopted. It is therefore necessary to implement proper tourism policies in such territories in order to ensure the preservation of the environment and to increase the levels of employment and income of populations. The design of tourism policies requires the prior identification of deficiencies in the current management of these tourist sites; then strategies may be adopted. The objective of this paper is to put into practice this framework in Andalusia, where 84 per 100 of the territory is protected in the form of natural parks. It serves as a recognized demonstrative value for the whole of Spain as well.

Keywords

• tourism
• economic development
• natural parks
• sustainability
• Delphi analysis
• Andalusia