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The 2010 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition is out today; and it features, for the first time, Portugal as backdrop to some of the most beautiful women and bathing suits in the world. Photos and behind the scenes video of the shoot at now available on http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com

As a city, Lisbon is often referred to one of the most exciting places in Europe with new hotels, museums, eateries, nightclubs and attractions. Add to that it’s 4,000 years of history, and unique pallet of monuments, trolleys and its picturesque setting on the estuary of the Tejo River. And, Portugal is the hot new place to go in the world of wine.

“This is a huge honor for Portugal. A real opportunity to showcase the charms and beauty that Portugal has to offer,” says Jayme Henriques Simões, communications partner to Turismo de Portugal.   “And, how fitting that a model with a Portuguese heritage, Jessica Gomes, was featured in the shoot.”

The 2010 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue comes out at a time when other media outlets are calling Portugal a close and an affordable tourism destination, including recent reports by Hotels.com, Hotel Index and Trivago Hotel Price Index.

The S.I Swimsuit models and crew stayed at the Ritz Lisbon Four Seasons during the shoot, and flew on TAP Portugal to and from Lisbon where they received logistic support by Turismo de Portugal, Associação de Turismo de Lisboa and ViniPortugal.

“I think as readers see the charm of the location mixed on the pages with the beauty of the models they will see why Portugal is such a fascinating destination,” says Simões.

Sports Illustrated Photo Shoot Locations

As a capital city Lisbon is full of life, but just a half an hour away, there is the great extent of beach from the Costa da Caparica to Cascais. Between the south bank of the Tejo Estuary and Cape Espichel, the coastline features a huge 30 kilometers of excellent beaches replete with golden sands, sea cliffs and fossil lined ravines.

Lisbon Region has a remarkable concentration of natural beauties, with the sea to the west, the River Zêzere and the River Tejo to the northeast and the estuary of the River Sado to the south.

All these areas are ideal places for enjoying the very best that nature has to offer.

The natural beauty of the city matched perfectly with the elegant models. The shooting sessions continued in the lively and sophisticated Estoril Coast, well known for beaches perfect for practicing water sports.

Another photo session took place on Portinho da Arrábida beach.  A bay with white sand, framed by the green of the mountains of the Serra da Arrábida Natural Park, where many rare and very ancient plant species are to be found amidst the splendor of the vegetation.

Not too far away, in Azeitão, the models were photographed at one of the finest Renaissance palaces in Portugal – Quinta da Bacalhôa, also famous for their wine. The 500-year-old Bacalhôa Palace, a Portuguese national monument surrounded by botanical gardens, a wine shop, and a lake graced with vineyards. Learn more about the locations used at www.visitportugal.com

About Tourism in Portugal

Portugal saw an increase in U.S. visitors this summer, and set a record for Americans arriving by cruise ship. Americans helped increase the incoming market ranking to the 9th largest and the 6th largest in terms of spending.

What has changed is the traveler’s desire to justify the need to travel. Portugal offers one of the most unique experiences in Western Europe, a fresh culture and new destinations that are distinctly unique. These characteristics are evident from our Fado, to Manueline architecture, to the grilled sardine, and cutting edge new eateries reinventing the best of Portuguese food.

Additionally, Portugal‘s 100-plus unique grape varieties, its ancient history and culture combined with modern hotels integrated into the landscape show progress while maintaining the charm of the ancient culture.

About Sports Illustrated

SI is a multimedia sports brand that takes the consumer into the heart and soul of sports. The SI franchise is anchored by Sports Illustrated, the most respected voice in sports journalism which reaches a weekly audience of nearly 21 million adults, and www.SI.com, the magazine’s 24/7 sports news website that delivers more than 150 original stories to its users each week. Founded in 1954, SI is a division of Time Inc., the world’s leading magazine publishing company and a subsidiary of Time Warner.