Statistical study on tourism in Madeira, based on a Residents’ Survey on Tourism in the RAM (IRTM) was released today.
As part of a Survey of Residents on Tourism in the Autonomous Region of Madeira (IRTM), the Regional Statistics Directorate of Madeira (DREM) today released the main conclusions, highlighting the fact that a large majority of Madeirans consider that the current flow of tourists is very high or high, although a large majority also has a favourable assessment of tourism.
The statistical study was a “regional operation, developed and applied by DREM in RAM, as the regional statistical authority”, he explains about the results that were presented today by the regional director Paulo Baptista Vieira, at the Penteada University Campus. “Between October and December 2023, individuals aged 18 or over, living in 780 family dwellings that constitute the survey sample, randomly selected by the National Statistics Institute (INE), were interviewed, resulting in 678 interviews being obtained”, he explains.
Furthermore, he stresses, “this survey arises in the context of the strategic plan for tourism in the RAM, whose monitoring of a set of performance and control indicators is essential, both for the implementation of the strategy and for monitoring and understanding the flows and dynamics of the tourism offer”. He highlights that “in order to achieve this performance, there is a need to carry out specific studies that allow the identification of gaps, challenges and opportunities, enabling action that is more aligned with the current paradigm.
It was in this context that, in conjunction with the Regional Directorate of Tourism (DRT), the DREM proposed to develop this statistical operation, with the aim of capturing the perception of Madeirans about the impact that the flow of tourists has directly on the lives of residents in the RAM, as well as on the economic, social and environmental impact of tourism in the Region”, he explains.
Thus, the main results of the IRTM were these:
Impact that tourism has on the quality of life of residents aged 18 or over in the RAM
- In their free time, outside of a professional context, 42.7% of those surveyed said they had come across tourists a few times, while 40.1% said they had done so frequently.
- Although the IRTM results indicate regular or frequent contact with tourists, as mentioned in the previous point, these contacts do not disturb the vast majority of residents aged 18 or over in the RAM, given that only a small proportion (6.3%) state that they are bothered by them.
- 53.9% of RAM residents consider that the current flow of tourists is very high, 37.9% consider it high and only 7.7% consider it moderate.
- Although the majority of the population considers that the flow of tourists is very high (53.9%), as mentioned in the previous point, 92.2% of residents state that they have not needed to change their lifestyle habits to avoid them. Only 7.8% indicated this as affirmative.
- Interaction between residents and tourists is rare for 53.4% of the population, with 24.0% interacting almost every day, 15.6% daily and 7.0% interacting only occasionally.
- The behavior of tourists, in general, is respectful and pleasant, 94.1% and 97.4% of residents considered it this way, respectively.
- Regarding tourist spending in the Region, 56.9% of residents consider that they spend “neither too much nor too little”, 24.5% think they spend “little” and 9.1% consider they “spend a lot”.
Regarding residents’ opinion on whether tourist accommodation should grow further in the Region, the general position was dispersed: 39.1% disagree, 34.2% agree and 26.7% are neutral.
General opinion of residents on how they consider tourism in RAM
90.4% of the resident population aged 18 or over has a favorable opinion of tourism in the RAM.