Promoting a destination touristically has plenty of ways to go about it.
It depends on what the objectives and values of each travel agency and tour operator are and who we want to attract.
If we are looking for mass tourism, we will want to be where everyone else is. We’ll promote the same places, the same activities and at the same times. Here the goal is to attract visitors at all costs.
We believe that it is this type of tourism that causes only around 25% of the territory (in this case Portugal) to be visited and known. Likewise, the tourist promotion action involves characterising the tourist attractions through comparisons with other destinations.
For example: Aveiro, the Portuguese Venice; or Sistelo, the Portuguese Tibet; or Braga, the Portuguese Rome… or other comparisons that fall short of each location’s potential.
They are not better or worse. They are simply different.
By characterizing these places in this way, we are creating a misplaced image of what you will find.
It’s like the feeling when you see the Mona Lisa painting for the first time in person. You spend a lifetime imagining a large painting, displayed for all to see.
But what happens when you see it live?
We realise that it is a small painting, with many people in front of us, and it may cause some disappointment.
In our way of seeing and living tourism, these attributions can make some people dissatisfied with what they find in Portugal. A country with so many wonderful things and that can and deserves to be visited several times.
Aveiro is much more than the channels of the ria de Aveiro.
Sistelo is much more than the terraced fields.
Braga is much more than Roman architecture.
Portugal is much more than Oporto, Lisbon and the Algarve.
W𝙝𝙮 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙨𝙤 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙨𝙤 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚?
The tourism sector contributes between 8% and 15% to the Portuguese GDP, making Portugal the 5th country in the world with the highest contribution of tourism to the country’s wealth (data from the General Secretariat of the Portuguese Economy).
This is only showing part of Portugal. Imagine if we were promoting more of the country’s tourist potential…
Besides being able to develop the country economically, we are also developing the lives of local people, giving them more money to improve their quality of life. We are also going to awaken the interest of the younger generations in preserving traditions that are in danger of disappearing.
We, as tourism promoters, have a fundamental role in the way the world sees Portugal and we can be agents of change!
W𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙤 𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙨 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙋𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙪𝙜𝙖𝙡?
- A country with a lot of sun
- A country where you can eat well
- A country with a welcoming and friendly population
How does SóPraSi see Portugal?
- A country with a great diversity of landscapes and very close to each other (you can easily go from the beach to the mountains, the plains or the vineyards…)
- A country with countless natural spaces protected by the International Community and by UNESCO, with a great and stunning beauty
- A country with more than 900 km of coastline with a diversity of landscapes, with fine sandy beaches, granite cliffs, dunes, forests…
- A country with a very rich history that takes us back to the beginnings of Portugal and the discoveries of the world
- A country with a rich and diverse historical and cultural heritage
- A country with towns and villages full of history and culture
- A country with deserted regions, surrounded by nature, waiting to be reawakened
- A country with a wide variety of protected species or endangered species in rehabilitation processes that can be observed in the wild
- A country with a rich biodiversity that makes it an ideal destination for nature lovers and trekking enthusiasts
- A country with numerous migratory bird passages and nesting areas, ideal for birdwatching
- A country with traditions and crafts trying to survive in the midst of modernity Men and women who are passionate about their craft and who work every day to keep traditions alive and preserve the rich diversity of Portugal
This is THE Portugal we want to show you!
As tourism agents, as tour operators, as travellers, we can all go beyond the masses.
We want to do more, to go beyond what is already seen and done.
This is what we want to show, without forgetting the preservation of nature and the well-being of the locals.