Evolución en la gestión pública del turismo en los municipios españoles

This paper analyses the scrides made by Spanish minicipalities in the field of tourism over the last twenty years. During this period, municipalities have become more aware of the importance of legal and financial issues. This first part of paper examines the legal changes which have been introduced during these two decades while the second part focuses on financial changes. The final section of the study draws conclusions from ESADE's 1997 Survey on Municipal Tourism regarding (1) awareness of the importance of tourism management, and (2) the wider implications of changes in the way tourism is managed. The evidence points towards the emergence of a new model of tourism management which has links with other areas of management both within municipalities themselves and at an inter-municipal level.