To achieve its mission, CinTurs guides its activity by pursuing the following strategic objectives:
1. Multidisciplinary research and collaborative processes
Given that Tourism entails diverse and cumulative knowledge from different fields, CinTurs’s activities are oriented by an integrated and multidisciplinary research approach. This is why it is so important for the Centre to include researchers not only with a specific qualification in Tourism but also from other areas that contribute to tourism understanding, development and management: Sociology, Environmental Sciences, Psychology, Economics, Management (mainly Marketing) and ITC. Moreover, it should be emphasized that our research areas don’t have clearly defined borderlines, as we believe that collaboration among researchers from different fields, through continuous sharing of skills and experiences, can potentiate excellence in knowledge.
Last but not least, the Center has a multidisciplinary team with experienced researchers in preparing applications and leading R&D projects, that will continue involving young researchers in project tasks.
2. Internationalization
The internationalization of the Research Unit is assumed by the Executive Board as a strategic objective. Several activities are developed that contribute to this purpose. Among the most relevant are the organization of international conferences and seminars, the involvement of members of the CinTurs team in international projects, the regular reception of foreign researchers, the participation of members of the research unit in international conferences and missions abroad and a strong commitment to a joint publication in international scientific journals and edition of books/journals with peer review.
To support its focus on internationalization, CinTurs has important networks with several international institutions, including universities from different countries that the Centre intends to keep and increase and strengthen in the future. These ties promote scholarly cooperation and collaborative work with researchers from other countries.
In this regard, CinTurs has ideal facilities and support services to go on receiving, on a regular basis, short visits from foreign researchers to work together and under the supervision of members of the Centre.
These connections bring opportunities for participation in Erasmus+ mobility programmes, the inclusion of foreign researchers in our research projects, joint publications with foreign researchers and joint organization of international conferences.
The growing international recognition of the Center, combined with the projection of the University of Algarve by its presence in the Shanghai Ranking of Academic Subjects 2018 in the field of Tourism and Hospitality Management, will strengthen its internationalization by attracting more visiting researchers, applications for postdoctoral fellowships and funded R&D projects.
3. Strong ties with the region
CinTurs is settled at the UAlg, located in the Algarve, an authentic research laboratory on tourism phenomena. Significant research developed in the Unit has allowed a deeper understanding of the region, contributing to its identity and affirmation as a tourism destination. This focus persists in future activities, without neglecting, however, the study of other worldwide destinations, including comparative studies between regions.
This articulation between CinTurs and the region potentiates the development of new research projects and participation in consulting projects, bridging the academy to the hospitality industry, and creating opportunities for further partnerships and funding.
CinTurs also has close ties with the industry by running projects associated with particular operators’ needs, assisting in knowledge transfer, capacity building and collaboration on innovative projects that will provide regional and national industry with a competitive advantage.
An example of this connection with the region is the commitment to the creation of the Algarve Sustainable Tourism Observatory, in which the CinTurs will have a key role in the scientific domain.
4. Commitment to excellence in scientific production
CinTurs has a strong focus on studying cutting-edge topics in Tourism and Hospitality of high impact, on both society and the scientific community. To this reach this aim, the strategy of CinTurs highlights a strong commitment to improving the scientific outcomes standards, materialized in an annual evaluation of researchers that mainly rewards publications in top journals indexed in Scopus and leading participation in funded projects. The edition and/or publication of books, editions of journals or special issues and publication of book chapters are also very welcome.
Any candidate to be an integrated member of CinTurs must fulfil demanding requirements, namely in terms of quality of publications and participation in funded projects. All members need to submit an individual Annual Table of Productivity (ATP) by December 31 of each year to secure funding for their research activities. The set of points is rated and based on objective, verifiable criteria, which have been previously approved and published by the Scientific Committee. The most rated item is publications with Scopus Q1 or being a Project Coordinator in a funded competitive international project. The financial support will be attributed according to the number of points obtained in the ATP.
5. Sturdy support to advanced training
CinTurs creates an environment of intense production of knowledge that supports the accreditation processes of several advanced studies of the UALG. Especially in the PhD program in Tourism, the lectured seminars are closely related to the research areas of the Centre.
Scholarships for the PhD programs associated with the Centre have been announced on a regular basis.
CinTurs has a PhD network, composed of 49 students, in 2022, and the Young Researchers Network (YRN). The YRN is composed by the PhD network plus recent doctorates of CinTurs. In addition to the regular activities of this network which aim to foster scientific knowledge and talent detection, the Center will reinforce its support for PhD students (funding for research activities, advanced training, availability of research spaces, incentive to attend conferences and short courses).
Integrated members of the centre are also very active in supervising master dissertations.
CinTurs regularly organizes short courses, mostly in research methods, open to both PhD researchers and PhD students.
Since 2016, CinTurs promotes research internships to involve bachelor's and master's students in ongoing research projects.
6. Strong involvement in relevant actions for society
CinTurs is involved in relevant actions for society. The Centre put an emphasis on developing the following activities:
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