Recent trends and future strategies in tourist accommodation in metropolitan areas. The case of Vallès Occidental

Abstract

In the last years, big metropolitan areas are experiencing a process of touristification in their. In the context of Barcelona, this article focuses on the analysis of a county, Vallès Occidental and its offer of tourist accommodation. This paper presents an analysis of the tourism accommodation offer of the region, showing the recent growth on the supply of tourist dwellings, despite that almost half of them are not yet registered. The largest number of tourist accommodations are located in traditional tourist establishments (mainly hotels) and, to a lesser extent, in residential facilities. There are evident geographical inequalities, since a high concentration of the supply is located in a few municipalities. This article includes a diagnosis of the sector, which leads to a series of strategic approaches when it comes to developing actions that should guarantee the development of the sector under a sustainability approach.

Keywords: Vallès Occidental, tourism, tourist accommodation, pressure index, planning and sustainable management.