Sustainable tourism knowledge platforms: the case of Alentejo Sustainable Tourism Observatory (ASTO)

Abstract

This work aims to reflect and discuss some of the challenges that an observatory for the sustainability of tourism in a destination can face when is developing a digital knowledge platform to be by stakeholders with different profiles and expectations. In fact, tourism observatories can play an important role by supporting regional tourism destinations and providing a systemic and holistic view of the tourism system to the stakeholders to support the processes of planning and adaptative management (Brandão & Costa, 2010; Brandão, 2007; UNWTO, 2004). Approaches and models for the development of observatories in Portugal regarding formal, policy and technical dimensions have been discussed in the literature and there are some empirical arguments arguing that they should be thematic (Bertocchi, Camatti & Borg, 2020; Brandão & Costa, 2010). So, taking as reference the case study of the Alentejo Sustainable Tourism Observatory (ASTO), this extended abstract intends to share the ASTO initial experience in building a knowledge-based digital platform, considered by Borges, Eusébio & Carvalho (2012) an essential tool for policy makers and managers in order to support responsible decision making to improve innovation and competitiveness at different levels.