Developing business tourism beyond major urban centres: the perspectives of local stakeholders

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify development strategies for Business Tourism in territories where this segment is not always given due consideration, especially at the level of local and regional development policies. Design – The paper discusses the concepts of Business Tourism and analyses the characteristics of a delimited territory in the Central Region of Portugal that encompasses the cities of Coimbra, Aveiro and Viseu, located between the main Portuguese cities, Lisbon and Oporto. Methodology – A Delphi study was conducted to explore the prospects of destination stakeholders, with the aim of identifying proposals and product development measures in this territory. Findings – Despite the lower urban density and lower load capacity, when compared with the main urban centres of Lisbon and Oporto, this territory presents a qualified and diverse tourism offer that combined with the existence of differentiated venues and quality accommodation can contribute to provide a valued tourism experience associated with the Meetings Industry. Originality – The study presented here allows us to reflect on the potential of Business Tourism in territories with lower urban density and lower supply of facilities and services, when compared to the major cities that usually take the leading positions in international rankings. This is especially true, if we consider that smaller urban centres that are relatively near each other (as is the case of Coimbra, Aveiro and Viseu) may find interesting strategic advantages in joint action, taking into account that these three geographic areas complement each other in the integrated supply of tourism products, experiences, services and facilities.