Portugal Elected Best European Destination for the First Time in Tourism’s ‘Oscars’

30 September 2017

For the first time, Portugal won the World Travel Awards’ prize, known as the Oscars of Tourism, for the best European destination. The Port of Lisbon won the best cruise terminal.

Portugal won first prize for best European destination in the World Travel Awards, the ‘Oscars of Tourism,’ at a ceremony held today in St Petersburg, Russia.

The Secretary of State for Tourism Ana Mendes Godinho was present at the ceremony and commented that receiving this unprecedented distinction “is an honour and gives us great pride” and shows that “the whole country is an incredible asset and a reason to visit.”

For the Secretary, the prize is the result of a “commitment to making Portugal an excellent tourist destination, with a diversity of unique offerings that extends throughout the country.”

“Being the country to win this prize is a clear indication that we are on the right track, one that shows the diversity we have to offer, from north to south, from the coast to the interior,” he added.

In addition to Portugal, Austria, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey were nominated for the prize.

Portugal was the country that received the most awards in the ceremony, “30% of the total”, according to information from the Secretary of State. The country collected 37 ‘Oscars’, 13 more than in 2016.

These recognitions “bring the added responsibility of always continuing to upgrade our destinations, our offer, our human resources and to innovate to ensure we are up to the demands of an increasingly sophisticated and demanding clientele,” added Ana Mendes Godinho.

In the ceremony, Turismo de Portugal was elected the best official European tourism body for the fourth consecutive time.

Luís Araújo, president of Turismo de Portugal, expressed “enormous pride” in the award for a “body that is only ten years old.”

“If Turismo de Portugal has the unparalleled reputation and renown that it enjoys today, it is due to all those who strive daily to overcome challenges and to beat records, bearing in mind a common goal: to be at the head of the tourism of the future,” he said.

“This is undoubtedly also a recognition of our tourism strategy and the success that the sector has been achieving year after year. It is not by chance that the Portuguese example is considered an international case study,” Luís Araújo concluded.

The port of Lisbon was also voted “Best Cruise Port in Europe”, for the quality of services and the infrastructure available to tourists who visit and stop in the city.

World Travel started work in 1993, and the selection of nominees is performed worldwide by thousands of industry professionals.

Port of Lisbon elected the Best Cruise Port in Europe

The Port of Lisbon has also been chosen as the ‘Best Cruise Port of Europe’ at the World Travel Awards Europe, for the quality of services and the infrastructure available to tourists who visit and stop in the city.

“This distinction contributes to a better positioning of the Port of Lisbon at a European level and is the recognition of the results of a strategy of the promotion of Lisbon as a destination for cruises. [The award] makes us very proud and motivates us to continue promoting the excellence of the Portuguese capital as a tourist destination,” Paula Oliveira, Executive Director of Turismo de Lisboa, said in a statement.

The port of Lisbon received the distinction in the gala of the World Travel Awards Europe, that took place in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Last year, 522,000 cruise-ship tourists passed through the Lisbon wharf, of which 472,000 were in transit.

Worldwide, Lisbon is nominated for ‘Best City Break Destination’, ‘Best Cruise Destination’ and ‘Best Cruise Port’. Votes for these categories run until October 30 at http://www.worldtravelawards.com.

Created in 1993, the World Travel Awards recognise the best examples of good practice in the tourism industry on a global scale. The voting is carried out by the public and by more than 200,000 travel professionals from 160 countries.

In May, the Marine and Natural Resources minister said that the new Lisbon cruise terminal in Santa Apolónia would begin operation during the summer, after successive delays.

Last week, the Port of Lisbon Administration reported that this month Ana Paula Vitorino accompanied the arrival of the first passengers in the new infrastructure, but Público reported that the terminal closed again on the same day to complete construction.

The director of the terminal, Ricardo Ferreira, explained that it had been a “beta opening” and that the full operation would happen “in a month or two.”

The new cruise terminal includes a building with 13,800 square meters, with capacity for 800,000 passengers a year, an increase of 300,000 compared to the current figures.

Original Story: Observador / Lusa

Photo: Observador – João Porfírio

Translation: Richard Turner