Leadership in touristic animation

LEADERSHIP IN TOURISTIC ANIMATION

Orlindo Manuel Graça Gouveia Pereira
Prof. Emérito da UNL
Rua David Melgueiro, n.º 24
1400-090 Lisboa
[e-mail]
Pedro Jorge de Matos Gonçalves
Prof. Adjunto
Instituto Politécnico de Leiria
Santuário de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios
2520–641 Peniche - Portugal [e-mail] Sílvio Manuel da Rocha Brito
Prof. Adjunto
Instituto Politécnico de Tomar, Portugal
Quinta do Contador – Estrada da Serra, Gab.B183
2300-313 Tomar
Telephone [phone] ext. 2242 [e-mail] Abstract
Leadership in touristic animation is aimed at fulfilling the touristic group expectations, in the context of a pre-set program. In principle, all leadership theories and practices may be of use, if the group (and not the individuals) is kept as the central focus. However, it should be assumed that here we are not performing an instrumental task but an expressive (emotional) enterprise. In accordance, encounter groups (TGroups) and resonate leadership theories are better guides to support the leader`s job.
Keywords: Touristic Animation; Leadership; Resonant Leadership; Emotional
Intelligence; Tourism.

1. Introduction
Common wisdom is apt to make believe that tourism is a word derived from the French
“tour”, in the 20 th Century, and that the touristic phenomenon is a contemporary fad.
That is far from being true. The French word “tour”, as a masculine noun, means to go around, and brings to memory the famous “Tour de France”, a sports competition, and as a feminine noun, means tower, which, in its turn, recalls the stone monuments around the world tourists are generally inclined to visit. So, tourism has to do, basically, with travelling to visit faraway places, where they can find landmarks of Civilization (and also a diversity of people).
The question is that tourism is far from being a contemporary activity. In human development there is always a moment in which one experiences the urge to get away