"Each of these 37 projects is a fundamental part of building a more resilient, sustainable, and globally competitive sector. With this initiative, we are empowering these regions, in this case those in the interior, to face future challenges and ensuring that Portugal continues to be a destination of excellence," emphasised the president of Turismo de Portugal, Carlos Abade.

Today, Turismo de Portugal signed financing agreements in Coimbra for 37 tourism projects in the interior. The support, granted in the form of non-refundable incentives, amounts to €16.6 million, corresponding to a global investment of €25.8 million.

The investments are made under the +Interior Tourism Line, which aims to strengthen the competitiveness and sustainability of the sector nationwide.

In his speech at the ceremony, Carlos Abade indicated that these projects involve more than 50 municipalities, representing more than a third of low-density territories.

"Thinking about tourism means thinking about the country; it means creating conditions for people's lives to be increasingly better," he stated.

In the Central region, 18 projects were supported, totalling €7.9 million in incentives.

The investments cover several areas, including cultural tourism, with the creation of museums, and gastronomic tourism, focused on local products such as wine, cherries, and bread.

Nature tourism projects also stand out, such as the redevelopment of organic parks and river beaches, along with scientific tourism initiatives and the promotion of sustainability and mobility in village networks.

North

In the North region, 10 projects were supported, with a total of R$3.6 million in incentives granted.

The intervention areas focus on the enhancement of cultural and religious heritage, such as the Camino de Santiago, and the development of nature tourism, astrotourism, rural tourism, wine tourism, spa tourism, and motorhome tourism.

Alentejo

In the Alentejo region, incentives were granted to seven projects, totalling €4.7 million, specifically to boost nature and adventure tourism through the creation of environmental interpretation centres and the development of mountainous areas.

The projects also aim to promote cultural heritage, including buildings, and the development of gastronomic and creative tourism.

Algarve

In the Algarve region, two projects were supported with a total incentive of €0.4 million. These projects both focus on nature tourism, aiming to improve and enhance the region's hiking routes and trails, such as the Via Algarviana and the Caminhos de Santiago.

The ceremony was attended by the Minister of Economy and Territorial Cohesion, Manuel Castro Almeida, who emphasized that the upcoming "Growing with Tourism" program has a budget of 30 million euros, "for essentially the same purposes."