The Tourism Association for Porto and the North (ATP) said this week the investment is “a clear commitment to promote the [North] region in markets that enable us to achieve sustained growth and combat the seasonality of the demand for the destination.”
For 2018, the Porto and North Tourism Association (ATP) said it expects to invest a “higher value” than that invested in 2017, which amounted to “around 400 thousand euros”, Sandra Lorenz, Interim Director of External Promotion of the institution told Lusa News Agency.
Sandra Lorenz explained that to attract “priority markets” and “emerging markets” and to give them the perspective that Porto is a “port of arrival and a starting point for discovering the Douro, Minho and Trás-os-Montes”, spending on the external promotion of the region will be invested in charm offensives and familiarisation trips for travel agents, tour promoters and journalists from “Spain, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Brazil, Netherlands, USA, Italy , China, Canada, Poland and Israel.”
Throughout 2017, the ATP carried out similar promotional activities with travel agents and tour operators such as Kuoni, Contiki and MMT-Gapnet, but also promoted the region to journalists from UK, Spain, the USA, Germany, Brazil, and Mexico, in addition to supporting the production of contents for on-board magazines.
“The intention is always to show the region as a whole, where there is adventure, history, culture, gastronomy, heritage and a number of possibilities to enjoy, whether as ‘backpacker’ or with the luxury of exclusivity”, explains Sandra Lorenz, noting that the North “is a region rich in natural and cultural heritage” and “recognised for its excellence and warm welcome.”
Earlier this month, ATP hosted a ‘fam-trip’ with 14 tour operators from China as part of the activities of the European Travel Commission to prepare for the European Union Year in China in 2018. And for the first time, it took part at the ILTM Cannes 2017 Fair, an event in France dedicated to luxury tourism.
ATP is a non-profit organization founded in 1995 by a group of institutions interested in developing tourism in Porto and Northern Portugal.
The association aims to develop and externally promote the Porto and North of Portugal regions as a tourist destination.