Universitat Rovira i Virgili
Campus of International Excellence Southern Catalonia
Research Group on Territorial Analysis and Tourism Studies

Objectives and research lines

On the map of Research Groups of Catalonia, the GRATET is regarded as a Consolidated Research Group by the General Directorate of Research of the Catalan Government, with the code 2017-SGR22.

Our research activity focuses on some of the main topics of interest in Geography and Social Sciences, using tourism activity, mobilities and functionally complex spaces as benchmark areas. In order to carry out our research activity, the group has the support of the GIS lab, an invaluable tool.

The GRATET researchers work mainly on one of the following six lines of research. Each of the lines has its own specific objectives.

The areas or lines of research in the programme are:

  1. the evolution of tourism destinations, in terms of adaptability and resilience to the different dynamics and processes they are affected by;
  2. local development, planning and sustainability of emerging tourism dynamics;
  3. urban tourism, the transformation of urban areas and its effects on the dynamics of their inhabitants;
  4. the impacts of mobilities (mainly related but not limited to tourism) on social dynamics, governance and territorial competition;
  5. response policies to global changes resulting from the climate emergency and energy transition;
  6. image, use, social perception, risk and health in functionally complex spaces.


For each line of research there are several researchers who participate in both competitive and transfer projects in more than one of the lines.

Line 1) Evolution of tourist destinations, in terms of adaptability and resilience to the different dynamics and processes that are affected.

Line 2) Local development, planning and sustainability of emerging tourism dynamics.

Line 3) Urban tourism, the transformation of urban areas and its effects on the dynamics of their inhabitants.

Line 4) The impacts of mobilities (mainly related but not limited to tourism) on social dynamics, governance and territorial competition.

Line 5) Response policies to global changes resulting from the climate emergency and energy transition.

Line 6) The image, use, social perception, risk and health in functionally complex spaces.