Abstract
This exploratory study was conducted within the Intermunicipal Community of Terras de Trás-os-Montes (CIM-TTM) to develop and undertake a preliminary assessment of a Social Justice-Centred Tourism Governance Framework. The study examined the internal consistency, conceptual coherence and practical applicability of the framework's constructs in the regional context. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, combining a qualitative literature review, a quantitative survey and official data. As a pilot study, its purpose was to evaluate the preliminary suitability of both the conceptual framework and the measurement instrument. Findings indicate that respondents generally perceived institutional capacity, collaborative governance and adaptive effectiveness positively, while social justice emerged as the least consolidated dimension. The main theoretical contribution is the repositioning of social justice from a peripheral outcome to a central organising principle of tourism governance.