“Each of these 37 projects is a fundamental piece for building a more resilient, sustainable, and globally competitive sector. With this boost, we are empowering territories, particularly the Interior, to face future challenges, ensuring that Portugal remains a destination of excellence,” emphasized Carlos Abade, President of Turismo de Portugal.
Turismo de Portugal signed funding agreements today in Coimbra for 37 tourism projects in the Interior, providing non-repayable grants amounting to 16.6 million euros, with an overall investment reaching 25.8 million euros.
The investments are part of the Linha +Interior Turismo, aimed at enhancing competitiveness and sustainability across the national territory.
In his address at the ceremony, Carlos Abade noted that these projects involve more than 50 municipalities, representing over a third of low-density areas.
“Thinking about tourism is thinking about the country, creating conditions for a better quality of life,” he stated.
In the Centro region, 18 projects received support, totaling 7.9 million euros in incentives.
The investments cover various areas, including cultural tourism with the creation of museum spaces, and gastronomic tourism focusing on local products such as wine, cherries, and bread.
Significant projects also include nature tourism, such as the redevelopment of biological parks and river beaches, alongside scientific tourism and initiatives promoting sustainability and mobility within village networks.
In the Northern region, 10 projects were supported, with a total incentive of 3.6 million euros granted.
The focus areas include the enhancement of cultural and religious heritage, such as the Camino de Santiago, and the development of nature tourism, astrotourism, rural tourism, wine tourism, thermalism, and motorhome tourism.
In the Alentejo region, incentives were awarded to seven projects, totaling 4.7 million euros, particularly to boost nature and adventure tourism through the creation of environmental interpretation centers and the enhancement of mountainous areas.
These projects also aim to promote cultural heritage, including built heritage, and the development of gastronomic and creative tourism.
In the Algarve region, two projects received a total incentive of 0.4 million euros. These projects focus on nature tourism, aiming to qualify and enhance the region’s walking routes and trails, such as the Via Algarviana and the Camino de Santiago.
The ceremony was attended by the Minister of Economy and Territorial Cohesion, Manuel Castro Almeida, who emphasized the upcoming “Growing with Tourism” program, which has a budget of 30 million euros “for essentially the same purposes.”
“Mayors, municipal leaders, and association heads, do not give up or think that you have exhausted the potential of your lands, as there is always more to explore, create, innovate, and develop to add more value. This program is still open; submit your applications, and we will gladly fund up to 400,000 euros per project for public entities, and up to 200,000 euros for private entities,” he said.
Isabel Damasceno, President of the Centro Regional Development and Coordination Commission, highlighted the importance of the 37 tourism projects in the Interior and requested a special focus on the Centro region, which “is always heavily affected by fires and natural disasters.”
“These projects are a boost for this region,” she concluded.
