This study presents a reflection on a new and resized (re)interpretation of the thermal spa sector in Portugal. Taking a holistic view of the strategic health and wellness tourism product, with the example of a case study (thermal spas in Portugal), it materialises a new proposal for a strategic management model. The study analyses the perspective of networking, which characterises a good part of the sector. Special attention is given to the training of organisations and their connection to integrated strategies to make the best use of resources, to the distinguishing orientation of preparation and placement of the tourism product on the market. The aim was to listen to thermal spa managers in Portugal regarding complementary services associated with their core offer, the partnership relationships they have with local stakeholders and what type, as well as the motivations for networking and development perspectives of the thermal spa sector in Portugal. The results presented are incorporated in this guideline to establish a competitive offer.
TopTheoretical Contextualisation
Building a network-based offer has numerous advantages, despite the complexity of this task, as Islam, Ruhanen and Ritchie (2018) point out, primarily because there are often tense relationships between governments, local authorities, rich elites and local residents, which are exacerbated when the destinations are protected areas. This complexity and tension are explained, at least in part, by the studies of van der Zee et al. (2017), when they state that tourist destinations are complex systems of interrelated entities, where there is no chain of command. Despite this, the entities (or stakeholders) operating at destinations acknowledge the importance of networks and cooperation and mention the need for them to obtain training in techniques for cooperation, identification of benefits and trust-building because, despite sharing common objectives, difficulties and barriers to creating networks persist (Karampela et al., 2019; Cortese et al., 2018). It is, therefore hoped that stakeholders are able to reach a balance between individual competition and cooperation, for everyone’s benefit (Gajdosik et al., 2017).
Authors such as Chim-Miki and Batista-Canino (2018), Karampela et al. (2019), and Kvasnova et al. (2019) suggest that successful networks and cooperation increase the quality of tourists’ experiences and contribute to destinations’ sustainability and performance. Moreover, they encourage development in tourism and the participation of private entities in the process. Networks and cooperation are seen as the bases of developing tourism and sources of competitive advantages. These authors make destinations’ competitiveness depend on partnerships and networks between the public, private, and non-profit sectors and communities. Tourist destinations should, therefore, be managed as an integrated co-production network, in other words, as a system that combines individual resources, products, and services to be offered to tourists (Cortese et al., 2018).