Nautical Tourism in Medio Tejo (Portugal): the wakeboard activity

Resumo

Nautical tourism is a growing product in Portugal, following a long tradition related to aquatic products. The wakeboard activity gained important visibility, especially due to the first world championship, in 2017, on the Zêzere river. The study now presented focuses mainly on the importance of valuing river-water resources and the Zêzere river, through wakeboard activity, for the consolidation of an efficient tourism product in the dynamic promotion of tourist and cultural attractiveness. For this purpose, as a methodology, a questionnaire survey was applied in areas of the Zêzere river equipped with a cable park, to understand the importance of wakeboarding in the development of river tourism in the territory. This study aims to enrich the knowledge of the wakeboard activity integrated into the nautical tourist product of the Medio Tejo. The results point to a growing trend in demand for this activity by residents and tourists, who combine leisure with knowledge of the heritage resources (material and immaterial) of this territory. The appreciation of the activity can lead local agents and actors to know and invest in the territory, making wakeboarding an activity of great economic, social, cultural, and environmental importance, contributing to the promotion and development of this territory.