Now more than ever, travellers are becoming more and more conscious of the impact they have on the environment, as well as the communities of the countries they visit. Being the host of the 1st World for Travel Conference and with the country’s new responsible tourism initiatives, Portugal is at the forefront of the sustainable tourism movement. The country aims to be a community for travel lovers who wish to travel as sustainably as possible and care to make a change.
World for Travel Conference
The first edition of A World for Travel conference is taking place in Évora, Alentejo, from the 16-17th of September 2021. The conference will approach a range of themes inherent to sustainability, such as economic model variations, climate impact, environmental impact, coastal and marine shifts, as well as agricultural and carbon neutral policies.
This conference event is a fantastic opportunity for attendees to learn from over 140 high-level speakers from around the world, participating in a stellar lineup of workshops and presentations.
Interested persons can register now at: www.aworldfortravel.org
Sustainable Tourism Plan 2020-2023
Visit Portugal has recently launched the Sustainable Tourism Plan 2020-2023 with the aim to reach specific goals in the tourism industry by the year 2023. The purpose of this plan is to position Portugal as one of the most competitive, safe, and sustainable tourist destinations in the world through economic, social, and environmental development throughout the territory.
The goals specified by the plan include:
- Increasing the number of tourist accommodations with energy-efficient, water, and waste management systems by 75%
- Eliminating single-use plastic by 75% in touristic accommodation establishments
- Clean & Safe seal: 25,000 members, 30,000 graduates and 1,000 audited
- Having 50,000 professionals trained in the areas of sustainability
- Gaining 200 international references about Portugal, associated with sustainability
These goals will be achieved by:
- Adapting legislation
- Financially supporting the companies from the tourism sector to becoming more sustainable and accessible
- Protecting the places which are more vulnerable to climate change
- Reducing plastic use
- Making reutilization and waste reduction a common practice within restaurants
- Saving energy and promoting efficiency and carbon neutrality
Responsible Travel Campaign
To raise awareness among visitors, a national campaign for responsible travel was launched this summer by 12 collaborative tourism networks in Portugal. These networks hope to work together towards literacy for sustainability through internal and external means, such as the support of tourists.
Visitors to Portugal are asked to be responsible when travelling by purchasing local products, not leaving rubbish lying around, and respecting the local surroundings. Over the past year, in particular, it is clear that the future of tourism lies in the preservation of nature and local culture.
ENDS
For more information on Visit Portugal please contact Ali Finnegan ali@travelmedia.ie
About Visit Portugal
Integrated in the Ministry of Economy and Digital Transition, Visit Portugal is the National Tourism Authority responsible for the promotion, enhancement, and sustainability of tourism activity. It brings together in a single entity all the institutional skills related to boosting tourism, from supply to demand. With a privileged relationship with other public entities and economic agents, at home and abroad, Visit Portugal is committed to fulfilling the goal of strengthening tourism as one of the pillars of the growth of the Portuguese economy.