an action of benchmarking for wine tourism in the Algarve began in Lagoa, on the 20th of March, at the facilities of Única – Adega Cooperativa do Algarve.
The organization of the initiative was the responsibility of the Association of Wine Routes of Portugal (ARVP) and the Association of Portuguese Wine Municipalities (AMPV), of which the Municipality of Lagoa is a member.
After welcoming 30 participants from the various wine regions of Portugal, Luís Encarnação, responsible for tourism and economic development in the municipality of Lagoa, summarized the lines of work that he has been following for the revitalization of wine tourism.
“There is a millenary tradition in Lagoa in the production of vines and wine” recalled the vice-president of the Chamber, adding that “diversity and quality are today marks of the wine tourism offer of this county, recognized by several national and international awards”.
In the same intervention, new investments and new producers, committed to existing projects or soon to be implemented, were also valued.
The mayor of Lagoa highlighted the importance of wine tourism as an opportunity to combat the seasonality of tourism in the region, and an added value for the Lagoa destination, with a multiplier effect on the local economy.
José Arruda, general secretary of the Association of Portuguese Wine Municipalities (AMPV), explained that “the benchmarking it is a continuous and systematic procedure that aims to verify the status and evolution of organizations, products, processes and activities. In this case, it applies to wine tourism to create benchmarks and contribute to better results”.
This initiative allows the survey of the wine tourism offer in Portugal, joining efforts between producers, wineries, wine museums, accommodation, restaurants, commerce and wine tourism information points.
The program in Lagoa included a guided visit to Quinta dos Vales, with two commented tastings and a visit to that wine tourism unit, and a lunch accompanied by Lagoa wine, at the Barca Velha restaurant.
This project of benchmarking it has already organized three similar actions in the region of Setúbal, Alentejo Central and Baixo Alentejo. Its objective is to cover all the wine regions of the country, with visits and work meetings to promote an integrated network of wine tourism information and contact between peers.
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