Monte Horizonte

2009 confirmed as Alentejo’s ‘Best Year’
12/12/2009

The President of the Alentejo Regional Tourism Board (ERTA), Ceia da Silva, has said that his region is currently experiencing the “best year for tourism ever”, particularly concerning the number of nights spent by tourists in that region and despite the global economic crisis.

António Ceia da Silva explained that this year nights spent in the Alentejo this summer rose by 30 percent in comparison to last summer.

More noticeable was the increase in the number of Portuguese tourists spending nights in the Alentejo.

“Based on data from the National Statistics Institute up until the end of October, we are currently in the midst of the best year for tourism ever in the Alentejo”, he said.

Ceia da Silva believes this is a significant result for the region and may have been spurred by various promotional campaigns, such as the ‘Discover a bigger Portugal’ and the ‘In the Alentejo there is More’ publicity drives. Both campaigns were devised by the ERTA.

The tourism executive further revealed that next year the region will host gastronomic events “of excellence”, boosting wines produced in the Alentejo, as well as a “great international event” from May 3rd – 9th which will establish the Alentejo as the “capital of national gastronomy”.

Other events the ERTA has planned for 2010 include a four-week gastronomic affair featuring pork, lamb, gazpacho and tomato-based dishes, and game.

Earlier this year Ceia da Silva confirmed that a dedicated ‘Tourism Observatory’ was in the pipeline to oversee all statistics relating to the tourism sector in that region, in the wake of what was an outstanding year. The future observatory is expected to be given the green light by the end of the year.

The project is being developed by the ERTA in association with Évora University and the Polytechnic Institutes of Beja and Portalegre.

It is thought that the Observatory will commence its functions in 2010.