An Index of Municipal Tourist Attractiveness: A Possible Methodological Approach Applied to Portugal

The study aims to define a composite indicator capable of assessing the ability of municipalities to attract tourists to their territories, considering a series of factors related to tourism. The proposed index integrates variables such as tourist infrastructure, the cultural and tourist offer, the flow of tourists, environmental sustainability, and quality of life in healthcare, with the aim of providing a comprehensive measure of municipal tourist attractiveness. The analysis is based on quantitative data from official sources such as the National Statistics Institute (INE). To define the index, statistical methods were applied and specific weights defined for each of the components, according to their relevance to tourist attractiveness. The index was calculated using a weighted sum of the normalised values, allowing comparison between municipalities. In addition, a sensitivity analysis was carried out to test the robustness of the index and assess the consistency of the results. The index introduces a practical tool for assessing and comparing the capacity of municipalities to attract tourists, guiding public policies and sustainable development strategies in the tourism sector.