Turismo e o dinamismo económico regional: evidência da região do Algarve

Abstract

This paper analyses the evolution of the economic structure and the tourist activity in the Algarve between 1995 and 2003 by applying the shift-share analysis among all regions of the country and within the region of Algarve. The central objective is to conclude whether the regional growth has been benefited by the region’s productive structure. The results suggest that the Algarve has captured positive dividends from its productive structure due to its specialization in the most dynamic sectors of the country and by getting important comparative advantages relatively to other regions in the sectors directly and indirectly connected to tourism activity. However, the within region analysis suggests the existence of regional disparities motivated by different growth levels since the sectors directly connected to tourism have behaved as threats to growth due to their low dynamism levels.