Chapter 14: Measuring the Quality of Destinations: A Portuguese Case Study

Research on the quality of destinations has been developed from the tourists’ perspective, and a more holistic view is necessary for integrated destination planning. This implies cooperation among multiple stakeholders and the sustainable use of resources. The purpose of this study is to establish a conceptual model to measure the quality of destinations, considering the concepts of governance, sustainability, and tourist experience. According to the index, that used data from Algarve region, the performance of a destination depends on these three main dimensions, each one measured by a set of subdimensions that were weighted by an international expert panel. The result provides guidelines for transfer of knowledge to the main destination stakeholders.