Seventy exhibitors, some of which are international, six restaurants, another for seminars and an entertainment area. This is, in short, the format of the first edition of the Biennial of Nature Tourism, taking place at the Espaço Multiusos in Aljezur, from 26 to 28 September, and which was presented yesterday at the Fortaleza de Sagres.
The official presentation of what intends to be the largest fair in the south dedicated to nature tourism products was attended by Francisco Gomes da Silva, Secretary of State for Forests and Rural Development, who promised to return to the Algarve for the inauguration, in Aljezur.
The Bienal, which, despite its name, has only, for now, guaranteed the holding of this first edition in 2014, will also include lectures and seminars on various topics, such as how Australia boosted surfing or how Andalusia organized birdwatching, between others.
The main focus, however, will be the B2B contacts pool, which will allow business meetings and will bring local, regional, national and international companies and tour operators to the fair in the Algarve.
The Algarve Tourism Region (RTA), one of the Bienal's partner entities, will bring international operators to this area of the Costa Vicentina, as well as journalists from the main sending markets to the Algarve, to learn about the Nature Tourism offer that already exists. and shows up at the fair. With them in mind, themed tours will be organized.
There will also be activities for the general public, including walks, exhibitions and workshops, also taking place outside the fairgrounds, in the three municipalities most linked to the Bienal - that is, Aljezur, Vila do Bispo and Monchique.
All Bienal activities and even the organization of the space at the place where it will take place will, according to the technician from the Vicentina Association responsible for the presentation, «around the four routes defined by the project Pure Algarve» – Route of Aromas and Flavors, Route of Time, Route of the Gaze and Route of Adventure.
When it is less than four months from the Bienal, applications from companies that want to be present will open "soon", as well as "soon" the initiative's website will be launched, where you can find the participation regulations, the program and other useful information.
Nature Tourism needs partnerships and joint work
At the official presentation, which took place this Monday at the Fortaleza de Sagres, Adelino Soares, mayor of Vila do Bispo, stressed that “Nature Tourism was, for many years, a forgotten issue, but today, due to pressure from the municipalities peripheral parts of the Algarve, it is already given its due importance».
The mayor, who was the host of the presentation of a Bienal that will take place in the neighboring municipality of Aljezur, added that he is certain that "many companies from these two municipalities will participate" in the event.
Aura Fraga, Vice President of Vicentina, stressed that this is "a project that results from many years of work, a lot of persistence, a lot of stubbornness."
The objective, he stressed, is "to put Nature Tourism on the regional agenda, once and for all". And this, said Aura Fraga, will be achieved in particular with the organization of the Bienal, but also with the project Pure Algarve, which brings together the three local development associations.
The director of Vicentina also launched a challenge to the auditorium, which included mayors from several Algarve municipalities, directors of the regional direction of Agriculture and Fisheries, CCDRA, RTA and ATA, the Institute for Nature and Forest Conservation, the Employment Institute and Professional Training, from banks, entrepreneurs and technicians in the sector: «participate with us in this process, in a multi-sectorial partnership. Nature Tourism cannot be done without agriculture, without nature conservation, without regional development».
Jorge Botelho, president of AMAL, the Intermunicipal Community of the Algarve, expressed his satisfaction with the fact that «there is more and more involvement of local authorities in these Nature Tourism projects».
Botelho, who is also the mayor of Tavira, highlighted the fact that "people are increasingly looking for new experiences and authenticity in our territories", defending that it is "very important to have an integrated tourism offer, focused on nature and the authentic".
As for the fact that the Bienal project is the result of joint efforts at regional and even transnational level, the AMAL president stressed that today it is "a necessity for us to come together to increase our capacity to promote ourselves abroad".
This was also the angle chosen by Desidério Silva, president of the RTA, for his intervention, expressing his satisfaction at seeing that «the presidents of the Chambers already have a more regional than local approach». And he congratulated the mayors present: the mayors of Vila do Bispo, Aljezur, Monchique and Loulé, and the vice presidents of Lagos and Faro.
«This Algarve is only successful if we all work interconnected: public with public, private with private, public with private».
For his part, Secretary of State Gomes da Silva recalled that "in the new community support framework, inter-municipal communities will assume a very important role in the distribution of funds", thus praising the partnership work that is already being done. to set up the Biennial of Nature Tourism.
The Bienal is promoted by Associação Vicentina, which is the managing entity of the GAL ADERE and project leader. The Bienal is financed by PRODER, within the scope of transnational cooperation, and carried out in partnership with the In Loco Association (GAL Interior Algarve Central) and Associação Terras do Baixo Guadiana (GAL Terras do Baixo Guadiana).
In its debut, the «Nature Tourism Biennale – Algarve 2014» joins Portugal, Greece and Spain, in a transnational partnership, around the promotion of the natural and cultural heritage of the destination, and, why is this intended to be the fair of nature tourism throughout the region, has the support of RTA, the Algarve Tourism Association and the municipality of Aljezur, as well as the partnership of other Municipalities and public bodies in the Algarve.
Veja here more photos from the presentation of the Biennial of Nature Tourism at the Fortaleza de Sagres.
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