Perspectives for development of business tourism in Porto

Abstract

Business tourism contributes with an important weight for the tourism revenues and is a segment with great potential for development in the city of Porto. Business tourism encompasses a variety of activities, ranging from specific support services and venues, such as hotels and conference centres, to complementary activities related with food and beverage, leisure and cultural animation, recreation and sports, among others. Its strategic importance has being recognized through the increasing attention paid by destination management organizations as well as by its identification as a strategic product for the Portuguese tourism in the National Strategic Tourism Plan. This article intends to explore the potential of business tourism in the city of Porto. The Delphi technique was used to explore the main stakeholder’s opinions and attitudes concerning the identification of proposals and product development measures in this territory. Findings suggest that stakeholders hold positive perceptions about the potential of Porto in this tourism segment and, as a way of empowering it, recommended a set of strategies for its development, such as the investment in a new convention centre adequate to hold larger business events, deeper collaboration between leisure tourism and business tourism agents, more involvement of local stakeholders and better understanding of business tourism market and tendencies. Countering these opinions may prove important for successful influencing the promotion of the business tourism in Porto.