Beas Secall Lorena - Effects of the Implementation of Tourism Excellence Plans (1992-2006) in Spain. the Case of Catalan Coast

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Effects of the implementation oftourism excellence plans (19922006)in Spain. The case of the Catalan coastLorena Beas Secall aa School of Tourism and Leisure, Rovira i Virgili University, SpainVersion of record first published: 13 Dec 2011.

To cite this article: Lorena Beas Secall (2012): Effects of the implementation of tourism excellenceplans (19922006) in Spain. The case of the Catalan coast, Journal of Policy Research in Tourism,Leisure and Events, 4:1, 84-104

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CASE STUDY

Effects of the implementation of tourism excellence plans(19922006) in Spain. The case of the Catalan coast

Lorena Beas Secall*

School of Tourism and Leisure, Rovira i Virgili University, Spain

(Received March 2011; nal version received October 2011)

The conguration of theCatalan coast as a predominantly tourist area has beenmarkedby a process of development starting in the 1960s which has gone through differentstages. As a result of the changes in demand and the uctuations in the marketssince the end of the 1980s, the administration has been forced to plan and establishthe main directives for the redevelopment of tourist activity. One of the mostrelevant tourism policy initiatives implemented in Spain has been the tourismexcellence plans, which focus on improving the quality and the image of localdestinations. This tool has been broadly implemented in the municipalities on theCatalan coast, where in the 19982006 period, seven destinations have made use ofit. The application of the Delphi method is considered in order to analyse thefunctioning and the impact of these plans on the destinations of the Catalan coast aswell as the effects on its tourism dynamics. The main result of this research is thatthe municipalities implementing the plan have timidly incorporated some initiativeswith the aim of revitalising and giving a new strategic vision to the destination.

Keywords: Spanish tourism policy; restructuring destinations; Catalan coastaltourism; tourism excellence plans; evaluation; Delphi method

Resumen

La conguracin de la costa catalana como rea predominantemente turstica haestado marcada por un proceso de desarrollo que comenz en los aos 60 delsiglo pasado y que ha pasado por diferentes etapas. Como resultado de loscambios en la demanda y las uctuaciones en los mercados, desde nales de ladcada de 1980, la Administracin se ha visto forzada a planicar y establecer lasdirectivas principales para el nuevo desarrollo de la actividad turstica. Una de lasiniciativas ms relevantes en poltica turstica implantada en Espaa han sido losplanes de excelencia turstica, que se concentra en mejorar la calidad y la imagende los destinos locales. Esta herramienta ha sido ampliamente implantada en losmunicipios de la costa catalana, donde en el periodo de 19982006, siete destinoslo han utilizado. Se ha aplicado el mtodo Delphi para analizar el funcionamientoy el impacto de estos planes en los destinos de la costa catalana as como losefectos en la dinmica turstica. El principal resultado de esta investigacin es quelos municipios que han implantado el plan han incorporado tmidamente algunasiniciativas con el objetivo de revitalizar y dar una nueva visin estratgica al destino.

ISSN 1940-7963 print/ISSN 1940-7971 online 2012 Taylor & Francishttp://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19407963.2011.642875http://www.tandfonline.com

*Email: [email protected] research is part of the project: Innovacin territorial ymodelos de desarrollo en destinos tur-sticos litorales. Anlisis a diferentes escalas espaciales (INNOVATUR). Direccin General deInvestigacin y Gestin del Plan Nacional I+D+I. Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacin. Code:CSO2008-01699/GEOG. Principal researcher: Dr. Salvador Anton Clav. Duration: 20092011.

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Palabras claves: poltica turstica espaola; reestructuracin de destinos; turismoen la costa Catalana; planes de excelencia turstica; mtodo Delphi

Rsum

La conguration de la cte catalane en une zone essentiellement touristique a tmarque par un processus de dveloppement commenc dans les annes 1960, etqui a suivi diffrentes tapes. Depuis la n des annes 1980, la suite deschangements de la demande et des uctuations des marchs, ladministration at force de planier et dtablir les principales directives pour leredveloppement de lactivit touristique. Lune des initiatives de politiquetouristique les plus pertinentes mise en uvre en Espagne est celle des PlansdExcellence Touristiques qui se concentrent sur lamlioration de la qualit etde limage des destinations locales. Cet outil a t largement mis en uvre dansles municipalits de la cte catalane, o, entre 1998 2006, sept destinationslont utilis. On envisage lapplication de la mthode Delphi an danalyser lefonctionnement et limpact de ces plans sur les destinations de la cte catalane,ainsi que les effets sur leurs dynamiques touristiques. Le principal rsultat decette recherche est que les municipalits ayant mis en place ce plan onttimidement incorpor des initiatives ayant pour objectif de revitaliser et dedonner une nouvelle vision stratgique leur destination.

Mots cls: Politique touristique espagnole; restructuration des destinations;tourisme ctier catalan; Plans dExcellence Touristique; valuation; mthodeDelphi

, Catalan ,,,,, Catalan , 1998 2006 Catalan,,

: ; ; Catalan ; ; ;

Introduction

The traditional Spanish and in particular the Catalan sun, sea and sand model oftourism, has undergone a period of redenition since the end of the 1980s. Its orien-tation towards sun, sea and sand tourism, the degree of saturation reached in a masstourism environment together with the decient infrastructures and services inheritedfrom poorly controlled development are conditions that do not respond to patterns con-sumption of todays tourism demand. This situation has led the administration to comeup with a series of tourism policy and management instruments that act as the startingpoint for the formulation of strategies and actions aimed at renewing and giving tourismspaces greater complexity and diversication.

In order to understand these transformations, this research is based on two interpret-ative models, Butlers (1980) lifecycle of tourist destinations and Agarwals (2002)restructuring theory. In a situation of the transformation of the sector, both theories

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recognise the need for destinations to direct a whole series of strategies and actions,identied by several authors in rst-generation European destinations (European Atlan-tic) and later in second-generation tourist spaces (European Mediterranean).

In this context, from the 1990s up until the rst decade of the new millennium,tourism excellence plans became one of the main axes of Spanish policy on tourismas regards managing destinations. In fact, the administration (Consultur, 2000) andauthors such as Ivars (2002), Anton Clav (2004) and Brunet, Almeida, Coll andMontesern (2005) recognise the important role played by these instruments.

Due to the above, the main aim of this article is to analyse as a case study the valueof excellence plans in the process of reformulating the traditional Catalan sun, sea andsand model of tourism and also to contribute a new methodology to its analysis andassessment, the Delphi method, which will serve to verify the effectiveness of theplans as a mechanism capable of revitalising destinations.

Tourism excellence plans as a tool for the restructuring of coastal touristdestinations

Several authors have dened explanatory models as to the behaviour and evolution oftourist destinations. Miossec (1977), Chadefaud (1987), Butler (1980), Smith (1992)and the authors involved in the compilationsmade byButler (2006a, 2006b) enable under-standing destinations as dynamic spaces that are continuously transforming, that undergo astage of creation, another of development, nishing in a period of stagnation or con-solidation, which may end up in the total decline of the destination or its rejuvenation.

To this end, sun, sea and sand resorts have put forward several strategies to over-come the stagnation stage and adapt to the new trends of production and consumptionwhich Agarwal (2002) identies and contextualises on the basis of the theory of econ-omic restructuration.

In the European context, much interpretative literature exists regarding the processesof reconversion aimed at sun, sea and sand destinations with the purpose of avoidingdecline. The rst examples of transformation are found on European Atlantic coastlinessuch as those of the south of the UK (Torbay, Cornwall, Weymouth, etc.), whereAgarwal (1997, 1999) analyses how the British government in the early 1980s,through the British Tourist Board, encouraged the local administration and the privatesector to develop rejuvenation measures, such as the Tourism Development ActionPlans (TDAPs) and Local Economic Initiatives (LEIs). The main goals of these initiat-ives were to regenerate the sector in order to be able to compete in tourism on a nationaland on an international level, to boost employment opportunities and to improve leisurefacilities. But, despite the fact that during their implementation problems were observedrelated with the lack of cooperation between the publicprivate stakeholders and thelimitation of economic resources, it has been considered as a useful tool to repositiondestinations. Also, on the Isle of Man, Cooper and Jackson (1989) identify a lack ofattraction and competitiveness of its tourist centres. In order to redress this negativestate of accounts, the administration (the Isle of Man Tourist Board) promoted a newplan that sought to adapt promotion, invest in the natural and cultural heritage,strengthen coordination between the public and the private sectors, attract new segmentsof demand, reduce seasonality and improve the quality of tourism infrastructures.

In addition, in the late 1980s and the early 1990s, European Mediterranean coastalresorts sustained similar processes of restructuring tourist centres. With regard to this,Morgan (1991) and Aguil, Alegre, Cladera and Sard (2002) observe how the island of

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Mallorca, faced with the problems of stagnation at some of its destinations, put intopractice measures to attract new markets, diversify and improve the quality of thesupply, urban reorganisation of spaces, and the decision to favour sustainable develop-ment. Along these lines, Camisn and Monfort (1998) in the Costa Blanca (Alicante)and Priestley and Mundet (1998) referring to the Catalan coast, stress differentiation,quality, supply management and the global improvement of the image of the destinationas key elements in maintaining the activity and rendering the tourism model efcacious.

On the islandofCyprus, Ioannides (1992) emphasises the involvementof the local gov-ernments in the design of tourism redevelopment planswhen attempting to ensure the con-tinuity of the activity.Themeasures in these plans recommended for application focusedondiversifying the product (convention tourism, agrotourism, etc.) and on regulating tourismgrowth. In fact, Pollard and Domnguez (1993), based on the example of Torremolinos(Costa del Sol), underline the importance of planning applied from the local sphere as afundamental instrument in order to minimise and avoid new negative impacts.

There are signs, therefore, of the intention of the public administration to providesufcient planning tools as to reorient, diversify and reposition sun, sea and sand des-tinations. Specically, on the Spanish Mediterranean coast, several public initiativesderive therefrom, formulated on a state level but implemented on a regional, and prin-cipally on a local scale, with the clear desire for collaboration and with the intention ofinvolving the private sector.

Among the different restructuring actions that have taken place on the SpanishMed-iterranean coast, Anton Clav (2004) has identied three progressive generations ofstrategies: renovation, differentiation and sustainability.

To this end, Donaire, Fraguell, and Mundet (1997) acknowledge initiatives on theCosta Brava linked to rejuvenation as of the 1980s, with the aim of correcting the pro-blems resulting from mass growth typical of the previous decades such as decienciesin town planning and shortcomings in infrastructures, by providing public spaces,rearranging the coastline, improving urban accessibility, etc. The strategy of renovationcontinued during the 1990s, but aimed rather at destinations aesthetic and functionalimprovement and increasing the quality of tourism establishments, as observed byCurtis (1997) in his analysis of Benidorm.

With regard to actions aiming at differentiation, which began in the early nineties,authors such as Salv (1998) and Valenzuela (1998) highlight the importance of diver-sifying the supply of tourism by incorporating new products, complementing the tra-ditional supply of sun, sea and sand. In particular, Vera and Baos (2010), based onan analysis of the coast of Alicante, speaks of the establishment and renewal of rec-reational facilities related with sport (golf, water activities, etc.), leisure (themeparks, aqua parks and other entertainment facilities), nature, culture, business, health,etc., as key elements in the process of restructuring destinations.

In the mid-1990s, the need arose to incorporate sustainable development criteria inthe management of tourism activities based on enhancing environmental and culturalresources, such as, for example, the case of Roses (Donaire, 2000); but also, in theapplication of local-level sustainability programmes, such as the renowned LocalAgenda 21 in Calvi (Bustamante, 1997); or by means of environmental certicationinstruments such as the environmental management of some beaches in the ValencianCommunity based on ISO 14001 (Yepes, 2004); such initiatives provide the destinationwith identity and prestige.

One of the most notable restructuring strategies within tourism planning of theSpanish sun, sea and sand destinations has been the tourism excellence plans, a


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product of a new culture of tourism in Spain, based on the integral treatment of the des-tination; the leadership of the local administration and co-responsibility.

In fact, excellence plans came about with the rst Spanish Framework Plan forCompetitiveness in Tourism, or Plan Futures I (19921995), in response to thedecline felt at the end of the 1980s at different mature tourist destinations, especiallysun, sea and sand resorts. The success of this planning and tourism promotion mechan-ism helped towards its continuance during the Spanish Framework Plan for Competi-tiveness in Tourism, or Plan Futures II (19961999) and the Integral Quality Plan forSpanish Tourism or PICTE (20002006).

Thus, it is an instrument promoted by the State, in collaboration with the auton-omous and local administrations, whose common aims are to increase the quality ofthe tourism services of the destination; to improve the municipalitys urban andnatural environment; to extend and improve the complementary offer; to valorisetourist resources, to create new products; in addition to raising the awareness of andinvolving the population and the local stakeholders in the culture of quality. In orderto achieve these goals, the actions proposed in an excellence plan had to deal withthe following aspects: conditioning and improving the beaches; providing equipment,embellishment and signage actions; improving points of access; providing green areas;urban and patrimonial recovery; environmental planning and actions; diversifying andenriching the tourism supply.

The initiative to adopt an excellence plan has in general been that of the town coun-cils, although it has also been the case in supramunicipal territories where communities,comarcas (local administrative regions), inter-insular councils and insular councils havecome to agreements. In addition, the autonomous communities were entrusted to assessthe applications and select the candidate destinations, from which the State DirectorateGeneral for Tourism chose the best proposals each year. The selection process took intoaccount the rigour of the proposals, the projects technical and aesthetic quality, theircapacity for innovation, the commitments with the tourism entrepreneurs of the desti-nation to participate actively in the plan, as well as the introduction of sustainabilitycriteria. As far as the funding of the plans is concerned, this was shared equallyamong the three administrations involved with no pre-established limit.

In accordance with the lines of action followed by the tourism excellence plans, itcan be stated that they are created in the context of renovation. Nevertheless, due totheir exibility in types of action, they are also used in the context of differentiationand sustainability strategies. Thus, excellence plans represent a clear example of initiat-ive aimed at substantially improving the quality of mature destinations in a process ofrestructuring these spaces.

Area of study. Tourist destinations with a tourism excellence plan in theCatalan coast

During the validity period of this tourism management instrument (19922006), in Cat-alonia a total of 10 excellence plans were granted out of the total of 84 approved for thewhole of Spain. Seven of the 10 plans implemented in Catalonia are situated on thecoast, concretely on the Costa Brava (Roses and Lloret de Mar); the Costa delMaresme (Calella de Mar); the Costa del Garraf (Sitges) and the Costa Daurada (ElVendrell, Salou and Cambrils) (see Figure 1). They are municipalities of similarsize, between 16 and 37 thousand inhabitants, that, since the 1960s have become hotspots for new residents and activities due to their prominent economic dynamics.

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Figure 1. Catalan coastal municipalities with a tourism excellence plan. *The municipality ofRoses developed an excellence plan but it has not been analysed using the Delphi method.Source: Compiled by author.


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The tourism sector is certainly relevant due to the strong presence of second residencesin all of the localities (with volumes that double or triple the registered population) andclear specialisation in hotels at Lloret (30,004 places), Salou (27,846 places) andCalella (11,558 places). Camp sites complement the supply of accommodation butdo not reach the gures of the two other types (Table 1).

For the municipalities that have implemented tourism excellence plans, this tool hasmeant an average investment of 2.42 million euros, ranging from a minimum of 1.62million corresponding to Sitges, up to a maximum of 3.61 million in the case of ElVendrell and a duration of 3 years, barring El Vendrell, Salou and Cambrils, whichhad a duration of 4 years (Table 2).

With regard to the distribution of budgets according to the type of measures1

(Table 3), it is clear that the main chunk has been used to adapt to the urban environment(68.59%).

In second place comes product creation (13.13%), by means of small projects aimedat valorising patrimonial and especially cultural resources. With the application of this

Table 1. Prole of Catalan coastal municipalities with a tourism excellence plan.

RosesLloret deMar

Calella deMar Sitges

ElVendrell Salou Cambrils

General dataMunicipal surfacearea (km2)

45.91 48.7 8 43.9 36.8 15.1 35.2

Length of beaches(km)

4.43 3.8 2.98 7.06 6.09 3.49 7.45

Population (2008) 16,463 37,734 18,615 27,070 34,931 25,754 30,956Population density(hab/km2)

423.94 774.67 2326.88 617.33 949.21 1702.18 879.18

Supply of accommodation (places)Hotels (2008) 6895 30,004 11,558 4970 2641 27,846 5534Camp sites (2008) 2101 3421 1868 1865 3106 5341 8458Second residences(2001)

77,049 32,238 11,259 24,170 70,205 60,111 67,441

Source: Compiled by author based on statistics from Idescat, the Tourism Observatory of Catalonia and theSpanish Ministry of the Environment, Rural and Marine Affairs.

Table 2. Tourism excellence plans implemented on the Catalan coast.

Plans Period Investment (in million )

Calella de Mar (19982001) 2.70Lloret de Mar (19992002) 2.70Salou (19992003) 1.80Cambrils (19992003) 1.80Roses (20002003) 2.70El Vendrell (20012005) 3.61Sitges (20032006) 1.62

Source: Compiled by author based on data from the Secretary General of Tourism of Spain.

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set of measures, it can be said that the excellence plans for the Catalan coast were notdevoted solely to strengthening the classic sand, sea and sun resource, but alsoincluded, to a lesser extent, products geared towards satisfying the new demands oftodays tourist by enriching the offer.

Of lesser importance than the previous two groups are enterprise management,quality and dynamisation measures, which accounted for 9.70% of the average invest-ment of the plans. Another set of measures refers to marketing and communicationinitiatives, which on average represent 7.57% of the funding of the plans. Lastly, theadaptation of the natural environment is the initiative with the least weight, a mere1.01% average of the total budget.

It should be said that the distribution of the investment provided by the excellenceplans across the municipalities of Catalonia is quite similar to the average for Spain as awhole, with large amounts given over to adapting the urban space (55.48%) and thecreation and diversication of the product (25.62%), although on the Catalan coast,more has been devoted to urban improvement and less to the tourist product. Also

Table 3. Distribution of investments by measures in the tourism excellence plans on theCatalan coast (%).

The municipality of Roses developed an excellence plan but it has not been analysed.Source: Compiled by author.


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similar, but of less amount, are the percentages corresponding to marketing and com-munication (7.04%), enterprise management, quality and dynamisation (6.75%) andadapting to the natural environment (5.11%). Nevertheless, on the Catalan coast,more has been invested in management and quality to the detriment of environment-associated measures (Beas, 2009).

Therefore, the majority of measures are linked with the transformation and improve-ment of the urban environment, both on the Catalan coast and for Spain as a whole. Thiswould t within the framework of the strategy of renovation dened by Anton Clav(2004). Second, there are such actions geared towards product creation, management,quality and marketing, devised in order to give the destination its uniqueness, but theydo not take on such importance or become such a priority as the rst set of measures.Initiatives related with sustainability, such as improving the environment and valorisingcultural heritage, are less signicantly present than the other lines of actionimplemented by the excellence plans.

Evaluation of the results of tourism excellence plans

Traditionally, Spanish public tourism policy has lacked adequate monitoring and analy-sis instruments. This is the case of tourism excellence plans. Given the importance of thisinitiative, this article proposes the Delphi method as an instrument to assess their impact.

Delphi is a qualitative research method that enables understanding situations andinterpreting phenomena concerning which no conclusive information is available orsuch information is difcult to obtain, via the opinion given by a group of people withspecic knowledge of the topic being dealt with. It was considered suitable to use theDelphi method for the study of excellence plans principally for four reasons. First,because no conclusive information is available on the subject of analysis; second,because it is deemed suitable that it should be the experts from the sector who evaluatethe excellence plans, since they have in-depth knowledge of the destination and, at thesame time, have been on the receiving end of the results obtained as a result of their appli-cation; third, the information is not equal for all of themunicipalities; and last, the overallinterest in evaluating the usefulness of the tourism excellence plans as an instrument forcarrying out policies to improve the quality of tourist destinations.

The selection of the members of the panel of experts was carried out on the basis oftwo fundamental premises:

(1) People with in-depth knowledge of the destination, its tourism dynamics andtourism policy.

(2) Representatives of sectors that are involved in the destinations tourist sectorfrom the public and private areas or from associations.

For each destination, 10 people were chosen, classied according to three groups, ascan be seen in the Table 4.

In order to analyse and assess tourism excellence plans, a questionnaire was devisedcontaining the following sections:

. Characterisation of the destination.

. Evaluation of the excellence plan.

. Evaluation of the impacts of the excellence plan.

. Overall evaluation.

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On a scale of 15 (where 1 is the lowest value and 5 the maximum), the expertsevaluate the different issues. Depending on the issue, either the extent of agreement,importance, knowledge, utilisation and satisfaction is evaluated. Table 5 shows thestructure of the questionnaire in greater detail.

In an initial round, the questionnaire, lasting an hour and a half on average, wasadministered personally and directly. In this way, additional opinions were obtainedto those strictly dealt with in the questions and, of course, a more precise response tothe questions was ensured since the interviewer was present and could clarify anypossible doubts. In the second round, the experts have at their disposal the meanvalue of all of the responses of the questionnaires completed in the rst round aswell as the arguments of the other experts. Then, the expert can keep his opinion orchange it. The purpose of the second round is to eliminate the divergences of therst round in order to achieve the greatest possible consensus. The medium chosen

Table 5. Structure of the questionnaire.

Sections Variables

Characterisation of thedestination

Main strengths and weaknesses of the tourist destinationSituation of the tourism entrepreneurial fabricImportance given by municipal policy to a series of measureseither directly or indirectly related with the tourist industry

Evaluation of theexcellenceplan

Degree of knowledge of the excellence plan (population andtourists)

Degree of knowledge of the measures (population and tourists)Degree of utilisation of measures (population and tourists)Degree of satisfaction with measures (population and tourists)Role of the private sector in the development of the excellenceplan

Evaluation of the impactsof the excellence plan

Territorial impactSocial impactImpact on tourist activity

Overall evaluation of the excellence plan.

Source: Compiled by author.

Table 4. Prole of experts.

Sector Responsibility Number

Administration Manager of the excellence plan or of the local touristboard in the event that the plan has expired

2

Tourism councilorTourism EntrepreneurialFabric

The representative of the private sector in the excellenceplan

5

Presidents of business associations (hoteliers, camp sites,owners of apartments to let, catering, travel agencies)

Important players from the tourism business worldSociety Presidents of traders associations, residents associations,

conversation groups, directions of journals and localcultural entities

3



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in order to carry out this second round was e-mail. The questionnaire was given to theexperts between the months of February and June 2005.

The method was initially applied individually to analyse each of the tourism excel-lence plans of the Catalan coast, both in order to ascertain the behaviour of the desti-nations themselves and the effects of the initiatives implemented by the plans. Oncethis procedure has been carried out, the information obtained has been processedbased on statisticalmeasures of central tendency (median and quartiles) and of dispersion(interquartile range), which have been used to perform a joint evaluation, where thecommon points that nally dene the global impact of the plans are highlighted.

Characterisation of the municipalities with tourism excellence plans

According to the experts interviewed in the analysis process, the strong points of thedestinations on the Catalan coast that have implemented an excellence plan are theirconsolidated image, a signicant quality hotel supply (concentrating 47.90% of allhotel accommodation and 58.16% four and ve star hotels, compared with the wholeof the Catalan coast barring Barcelona, 2005), in addition to the good upkeep of thebeaches. The main weaknesses are related with inadequate access to tourist areas,marked seasonality and little tourist use made of the natural heritage, indeed defectsarising from the legacy of a mass sun, sea and sand model (Table 6).

The tourist sector enterprise of those destinations that have an excellence plan(Table 7) is characterised by signicant activities of membership organisations.

Table 6. Perception of the main strengths and weaknesses of the Catalan coastal destinationswith a tourism excellence plan.

Evaluation (1 min.5 max.)

StrengthsGood infrastructures and basic services 3.08Good transport communications 3.08Suitable access to tourist zones 2.58Broad complementary offer 2.92Consolidated image 4.00Tourist use of historical heritage 3.17Tourist use of natural heritage 2.25Large hotel supply 3.83Good state of beaches 4.00

WeaknessesDeteriorated urban landscape 3.08Congestion of destination 3.42Low quality supply of accommodation 2.33Lack of training 3.42Lack of boosting of cultural and natural resources 3.17Tourism with low levels of expenditure 3.58Marked tourist seasonality 3.92Low level of awareness of resident population 2.83


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During the period 19952005, according to the experts, private agents have devoted apart of their investment to improving infrastructures and increasing the quality of ser-vices. This process has been especially intense in the hotel industry. According to Beas(2009), most initiatives have ended up in the closure of small and obsolete establish-ments, the reclassication of hotels and the opening of new, high value-added hotels(four and ve stars). On the other hand, the entrepreneurs have shown little interestin the professionalisation of their employees, which according to the experts is dueto seasonality and the high turnover experienced in this sector. Nor have tourism com-panies paid much attention to the creation of new products and differentiated services.

During the period 19952005 (Table 8), according to those interviewed using theDelphi method, the management of these municipalities was characterised by thescarce attention paid to recovering natural spaces and the introduction of environmentalmanagement mechanisms. Insofar as the development of environmental initiatives,though some projects have been started in this eld (Local Agenda 21s, SustainableTourism Municipality Municipio Turstico Sostenible, and several ecolabels), sofar, their success has hardly been noticed, probably due to the lack of conviction onthe part of the local administration. As a consequence, the tourist development ofthese municipalities has been carried out on the basis of hardly sustainable criteria: dis-proportionate urban growth with problems to reconsider the model, a lack of policiesgoverning the conservation and rehabilitation of the (natural and cultural) heritage,and therefore limitations when it comes to integrating the resources with identity,

Table 7. Evaluation of the tourist sector enterprise on the Catalan coastal destinations with atourism excellence plan.


High degree of belonging to membership organisations 3.83Good consensus 2.92Investment to improve furnishings and equipment 4.00Investment to increase the quality of services 3.75Concern for training of employees 2.75Creation of new, non-standard products and services 2.67


Table 8. Evaluation of the role of the local administration on Catalan coastal destinations witha tourism excellence plan during the period 19952005.

Evaluation (1 min.-5 max.)

Improved urban ttings and furnishings 3.17Improved urban services 3.00Recovery of natural spaces 2.25Rehabilitation of historicalcultural heritage 2.92Implementation of environmental management mechanisms 2.58De-seasonalisation of tourist activity 2.67Dening new parameters of urban growth 2.00Economic diversication 2.17



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which are the fundamental types that contribute to complementing the sun, sea andsand model and at the same time de-seasonalise the activity.

Evaluation of the measures implemented within the framework of tourismexcellence plans

Despite having carried out several communication and dissemination activities, muchof the population, and especially tourists know hardly anything about the tourism excel-lence plans. Yet, most of the tourism entrepreneurial fabric is aware of its implemen-tation, given that in all of the plans analysed, it is a signatory of the collaborationagreement between the central, autonomous and local administrations (Table 9).

According to the experts (Table 10), only the local population specically identiesthose initiatives that have been more visibly manifest or have brought about some kindof controversy.

The resulting actions that have been the most used by the resident population are theones related with conditioning and improving the beaches, and with urban recovery.With regard to tourists, the initiatives they perceive the most are related with condition-ing and improving beaches and the provision of urban furnishings and equipment.

Table 9. Perception of the level of knowledge of the tourism excellence plans for the Catalancoast.

Evaluation(1 min.5 max.)

Most of the population has some knowledge of the plan 2.17Most of the tourists have some knowledge of the plan 1.00Most of the tourism entrepreneurial fabric has some knowledge of theplan

4.17

Most of the tourism entrepreneurial fabric is aware of the aims of the plan 3.33


Table 10. Perception of the level of knowledge of the measures of the tourism excellence planson the Catalan coast by the population and by tourists.


Population Tourist

Conditioning and improving beaches 1.60 1.10Provision of furnishings and equipment 1.60 1.10Improved access points 1.75 1.13Urban recovery 2.00 1.00Diversication and enrichment of the supply 1.75 1.00Environment 1.67 1.00Training 1.25 1.00Marketing and communication 1.70 1.00Entrepreneurial management and dynamisation 2.00 1.00


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However, the actions least used by the population and tourists are linked with market-ing and communication, but above all those devoted to the environment, which wouldbe explained by the intangible nature of some such actions and their scarcity (Table 11).

The experts perceive the overall evaluation of the measures by both the local popu-lation and by tourists as being positive (Table 12), especially those referring to con-ditioning and improving beaches, the provision of urban furnishings and equipmentand urban recovery. In addition, tourists are satised with training initiatives.

Concerning the role of the private sector in the development of the plan (Table 13),most of the experts are quite in agreement that the different tourist business subsectors,through guilds or associations at the destinations, have been consulted with regard todening the plans objectives. Nonetheless, the experts consider that participation byentrepreneurs in diagnosing and proposing the plans lines of action has been moderatesince the local administration has taken on an almost absolute leading role at some

Table 11. Evaluation of the use of the measures of the tourism excellence plans on the Catalancoast by the local population and by tourists.


Population Tourist

Conditioning and improving beaches 4.00 4.50Provision of furnishings and equipment 3.25 4.13Improved access points 2.83 2.67Urban recovery 3.60 3.40Diversication and enrichment of the supply 2.80 3.00Environment Training 3.00 3.00Marketing and communication 2.60 2.70Entrepreneurial management and dynamisation 3.00 3.00


Table 12. Evaluation of the level of satisfaction with the measures of the tourism excellenceplans on the Catalan coast by the local population and by tourists.

Evaluation (1 min.5 max)

Population Tourist

Conditioning and improving beaches 3.50 3.50Provision of furnishings and equipment 3.63 3.75improved access points 3.00 2.83Urban recovery 3.60 3.50Diversication and enrichment of the supply 3.00 3.20Environment Training 2.75 4.00Marketing and communication 2.60 3.00Entrepreneurial management and dynamisation 3.00 3.00



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destinations. Also, on an economic level, tourism entrepreneurs have not collaboratedexcessively in actions complementary to the plan.

Evaluation of the impacts of tourism excellence plans

The experts quite agree (Table 14) that within the excellence plans, measures toimprove beach areas have not been the sole consideration, though the beaches are ingood condition, thanks to the role played by the respective local governments priorto the plan, but that also measures have been designed to have an effect throughoutthe tourist structure of the destination. This fact has brought about certain improve-ments to the urban-tourism structure and the services on offer, as well as contributingto valorise the territory. However, the plans have not got any supramunicipal measuresunderway with neighbouring towns.

The social impacts of the plans have been rather scarce (Table 15), since the degreeof awareness of the local population as to the phenomenon of tourism has not increased.In fact, according to the experts, the problems associated with mass tourism (noise,saturated communications routes, dirt, deterioration of the landscape, etc.) have led

Table 14. Evaluation of the territorial impacts of the tourism excellence plans on the Catalancoast.


Spatially integral treatment 3.58Incorporation and coordination between the different coastal spaces 2.08It has led to improvements in the urban-tourism structure 3.50It has helped to valorise the territory 3.08


Table 13. Perception of the role of the private sector in the development of the tourismexcellence plans on the Catalan coast.


Representation by many of the tourist enterprise subsectors 3.08Active participation in the diagnosis of and proposals for measures 3.17Monetary participation in actions complementary to the plan 1.67


Table 15. Evaluation of the social impacts of the tourism excellence plans of the Catalan coast.


Greater awareness raising of the local population concerningthe tourism phenomenon

2.33

The local population has been involved in the development ofthe plan

1.67


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to a negative attitude of the residents who do not live directly from this activity, whichwill be difcult to change unless a reorientation of the model is considered and suitableawareness raising and motivation campaigns are implemented. Neither has the localpopulation been involved in developing the plan, despite some destinations organisingdifferent meetings to debate its content together with the administration, the tourisminstitutions and the citizens in general. These forums have proved little effective dueto such reasons as the delay in setting them up, the lack of continuity of the meetingsand difculties in implementing the participatory process.

In respect of the impacts of the plans on the tourism sector (Table 16), respondentsconsider that the most outstanding involve:

. Improving the quality of public tourism services.

. Potentiating pre-existing products, fundamentally by improving and conditioningthe beaches.

. Valorising cultural and, to a lesser extent, natural resources.

. Creating a specic supply of active and family tourism.

and the plans have had little repercussion insofar as:

. Increasing the quality of tourist establishments, since, in the early 1990s, mostdestinations started a requalication process, basically dealing with hotel accom-modation, aside from the plans.

. Boosting a model of sustainable development for the activity.

. Creating new tourist management bodies.

According to the experts, the plans have nally not managed to dynamise the des-tination due to several reasons, including, most notably, the marked leading role playedby the public administration, their short duration, scarce funding, excessive assignationof the budget to urban improvement, management problems, the drafting of reportsinstead of actual material actions and, in some cases, the lack of cooperationbetween the public and the private sectors. Despite everything, they are worthy ofoverall positive evaluation, principally for having been a tool of reection and aware-ness raising for the tourism agents as to the need to improve destinations (Table 17).

Table 16. Evaluation of tourism impacts of the tourism excellence plans of the Catalan coast.

Evaluation (1 min5 max.)

Increased quality of tourism establishments 2.50Improvement to quality of public tourism services 3.08Potentiating pre-existing products 2.75Valorising natural resources 2.75Valorising cultural resources 3.00Creation of specic supply 2.67Promoting sustainable development of the activity 2.42Creation of new tourism management bodies 2.25



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Conclusions

In view of the weaknesses manifested by Spanish coastal tourism at the end of the1980s, the Spanish public administration embarked on a change of direction towardstourism planning and management by designing new approaches to deal with thechanges in demand and consolidate the position of privilege of the Spanish coast onthe international tourism market.

To this end, among the different actions to reactivate the sector promoted by thepublic administration are the tourism excellence plans. According to the principles ofthis initiative, the most notable contributions were to be the fostering of co-responsibil-ity and the leadership of the local administration, the overall improvement of thetourism space, the incorporation of sustainability criteria and the strategic and planningvision applied to the destinations.

One of the most innovative objectives of the tourism excellence plans was topromote the leadership of the local administration based on the co-responsibility ofall agents involved in the destination. In fact, local entities had to assume responsibilitywhen deciding upon and designing the measures, because it was acknowledged that thetown and city councils are the ones with the most competencies and are closest to theneeds of tourists and residents. However, from the analysis performed in Catalancoastal districts using the Delphi method, it has been found that one of the factorsthat a priori should have been positive has at the same time become one of theplans main problems because the local administrations at these destinations haveundertaken to create and materialise all of the projects, despite participation by entre-preneurs in the plan, which has, in the end, been more theoretical than practical. Thus,it is conrmed that the opinion of the private sector, though represented at the differentcommittees, is only taken into consideration on certain specic matters. This situationhas arisen to a great extent as a result of the plans model of funding, which has beenentirely assumed not only by the public institutions (Spanish State, autonomous com-munity and town council) on the Catalan coast, but also due to the limited degree ofinteraction among the different business associations, granting the town councils a pos-ition of strength at the time of diagnosing and deciding upon the initiatives to beimplemented. With regard to cooperation between the administrations, it can bestated that it has been limited to holding different follow-up meetings and the provisionof the established monetary amounts. Therefore, it can be afrmed that the tourismexcellence plans of the Catalan coast have not provided the necessary instrumentsand actions as to be able to improve cooperation, a problem again pointed out byAgarwal (1997, 1999) as one of those requiring a solution at resorts in the south ofGreat Britain.

Table 17. Global evaluation of the tourism excellence plans of the Catalan coast.


It has been possible to dynamise the destination 2.33Cooperation has increased between the public and private sectors 2.75Greater awareness by tourism agents as to the need to improve the destination 3.58The plan deserves overall positive evaluation 3.75


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With reference to the role of the plans in the overall improvement of tourist areas,analysis has allowed observing the presence of different initiatives in the coastal muni-cipalities studied, mostly aiming at transforming the image and correcting shortcomingsin destinations infrastructures and services. Among the most notable measures in thiseld are those linked with the adaptation of the urban environment, on which some 70%of the overall investment of the plans has been made in order to solve the problems ofquality inherited from the haphazard growth in mass tourism, that is to say, priority hasbeen given to typical projects of the renovation cycle (see Anton Clav, 2004), which,according to the experts, the local administrations ought to have developed previouslywithin their ordinary budget, but which, due to the lack of funding, had nevermaterialised.

In fact, on the Spanish coast, the municipalities with the longest tradition and great-est specialisation in tourism are the ones that have accumulated the greatest need toadapt and modernise their tourist areas, as can be seen with the actions carried outon the Costa Brava (Donaire, Fraguell, &Mundet, 1997) or in Benidorm (Curtis, 1997).

In spite of all, the plans have provided an opportunity to break the situation of stag-nation experienced by some municipalities and have paved the way to change themodel, with some actions aimed at the differentiation and sustainability of the desti-nations beginning to be applied. Such strategies have also been applied in otherSpanish coastal centres as the criteria to be followed in order to adapt to the newtourism scenario (Bustamante, 1997; Donaire, 2000; Salv, 1998; Valenzuela, 1998;Vera & Baos, 2010; Yepes, 2004, etc.). In any case, although 30.4% of the overallbudget has been devoted to differentiation and sustainability actions, the nature ofsuch investments has proved highly incipient in the plans, since just 13.13% hasbeen set aside to diversify the supply and a tiny 1.01% for the environment (Beas,2009). Perhaps, if at the end of the 1990s Catalan coastal resorts had solved the funda-mental problems of tourism areas or if there had been more funding for the plans, theimpact of these initiatives on the Catalan coast might have been further reaching. Also,it should be pointed out that the average investment of the Catalan coastal plans was theequivalent of 3.78% of the municipal budget and, therefore, neither was it such a sig-nicant amount as to get great restructuring policies underway, but, as has been saidpreviously, it was sufcient to correct certain defects and embark upon positivesynergies.

To this end, in spite of the plans limited budget, their short duration (3 or 4 years),the momentary, nite nature of most measures, these municipalities have timidlyadopted some initiatives with the aim of revitalising and giving a new strategicvision to the destination, which have been positively evaluated in the analysis.

Therefore, on the basis of the analysis performed, it can be stated that in respect ofthe targets planned by the administration, the excellence plans for the Catalan coasthave demonstrated:

. Excessive protagonism on the part of the local administration.

. A lack of uent collaboration between the public and the private sectors.

. Scarce perception by tourists and the local population of the existence of theplans and their measures, whose executor, in many cases, was not known to them.

. The marked trend towards improving the urban structure and services.

. The scarce effects on product creation and on the development of sustainablepolicies.

. Scarce business dynamisation.


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. The lack of shared tourism organisation and management formulas.

. The difculty in giving continuity to the actions of the plan and the limited stra-tegic vision.

In any case, it has been seen that the plans present some positive aspects given that:

. They have provided a source of funding over and in addition to the towncouncils.

. They have enabled improving the image of the destinations.

. They have initiated some product differentiation projects.

. They have meant a starting point for the planning and management ofdestinations.

In summary, following the arguments presented herein, the value of excellenceplans in the process of the transformation of Catalan coastal destinations is conrmed,proving that these places apply corrective measures that are fully incorporated withinthe general interpretative framework of tourism restructuring as considered byAgarwal (2002) and in the rejuvenation stage as dened by Butler (1980).

Nonetheless, it has also been seen that excellence plans had their shortcomings asregards their conguration and effectiveness at revitalising sun, sea and sand munici-palities. For this reason, the Spanish public administration, within the framework ofthe 2020 Spanish Tourism Plan, has designed a programme to reclassify maturetourist destinations. This programme is divided into three lines of action:

. Tourism Infrastructures Modernisation Funds (FOMIT), working to rehabilitateurban and natural amenities and environments.

. The Plan Renovate renewal scheme, aimed at modernising the supply of accom-modation, catering and complementary services.

. The Extraordinary Project for the Reclassication of Mature Destinations, whichaims to achieve the integral reconversion of these tourism areas of tourism.

Finally, noteworthy is the presentation in early 2011 of a specic plan for the coast-line, the 21st Century Coastal Plan, which focuses on rehabilitating the tourist desti-nations of the Spanish Mediterranean coast and the Canary Islands, based on theprinciples of competitiveness, sustainable development, diversication and innovation.

Note1. The municipality of Roses has been excluded from this analysis since the administration did

not prove receptive when invited to participate in the study. Neither has it provided thenecessary information.

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Documents

Beas Secall Lorena - Effects of the Implementation of Tourism Excellence Plans (1992-2006) in Spain. the Case of Catalan Coast