They share the same goals in life and everyone has the same opinion: Tourism is one of the essential vectors for the development of the local economy. Therefore, five municipalities in the North and Algarve are going to start working in a network so that, together, they can fight asymmetries, enhancing their natural, heritage, historical and gastronomic resources, among others, and thus attract new investors and new visitors. The aim is to extend the network to many more Portuguese municipalities.
São Brás de Alportel, Tavira, Silves and Lagos – all municipalities in the Algarve – and Vizela – in the North of the country – are the first Portuguese municipalities to bear the title of CITTASLOW. The concept was born in Italy and rewards municipalities that invest in quality of life, preserving traditional knowledge and flavours.
The four municipalities of the Algarve were the first to see their candidacies approved by the International Association of Cittaslow. Then, in 2011, Vizela followed.
Last year, it was Viana do Castelo's turn to present a candidacy for Italy with a view to its approval, which could happen this year, during the International Assembly of the Cittaslow, taking place in June in Turkey.
All together, the five Municipalities – which already bear the symbol of the Caracol – joined in a General Assembly, of the recently created Associação Cittaslow Portugal, last February, in São Brás de Alportel and outlined the first steps to take as an association Portuguese.
“The goal is to be able to work in a network, leveraging what each one of us has, intrinsically, best! We all have the same international classification and this gives us a basis for working inside and outside”, said António Eusébio, Mayor of São Brás de Alportel – one of the first classified Portuguese municipalities – and president of the Cittaslow Portugal Association.
“We need to fight the crisis and attract new investors to our municipalities. When this association was created, we realized that we all have the same potential, as well as the same philosophy of progress: TOURISM. Therefore, we are working in that direction and, with this association, it is no longer a municipality fighting, but a group of them working towards a whole that is our country”.
Soon, Cittaslow International is working with the European Union on a set of proposals with a view to creating financial support for projects that are candidates for the approximately 150 cities that are already part of the global Cittaslow network.
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