Porto celebrates recognition of the region's wine identity

On Carnival day, the Tramcar Museum held the award ceremony for the Best of Wine Tourism, celebrating the recognition of projects that reflect the region's identity and values as a wine destination. This moment occurred at the same time as Wine & Travel Week.

And it is a moment of great pride for the city. For the city councillor for tourism and internationalisation, the keyword is “union”. “Nature shows us that everything is intertwined and part of an ecosystem,” says Catarina Santos Cunha, recalling how “wine quality depends on soil conditions, altitude, weather, but also on the vision, innovation, and creativity of producers and winemakers.”.

The city councillor underlined Porto's commitment, as a founding member of Great Wine Capitals, organiser of the awards, to “ensure our vision as a wine destination and connection hub with the Douro and Vinho Verde regions”, since, she believes, “growth and evolution are only possible through networks and synergies”. No man is an island. No wine is a single glass”, added Catarina Santos Cunha.

In order to boost these synergies, the city councillor has already announced the launch of the “Best of Club – Porto”, an initiative that aims to bring together the winners of all the Best of Wine Tourism editions in the region to create dynamics that promote best practices in wine tourism and that is set in the “Future Vision for Sustainability of Porto as a destination”.

“We have learned what tourism we want and don't want to attract,” says Catarina Santos Cunha, stating that the new vision is part of “a new chapter on the promotion of wine tourism in Porto and Northern Portugal.”.

“We believe in the sector's enormous potential for growth and appreciation, “not only because it is a qualified and economically powerful target segment, but also, and mainly, because it embodies the destination's values: authenticity, heritage, and culture; creativity, innovation, and global vision; a fantastic service and hospitality”.

The Secretary of State for Tourism, Trade, and Services, Nuno Fazendo, the President of Turismo de Portugal (Portuguese National Tourism Authority), Luís Araújo, the President of Associação de Turismo do Porto e Norte (Tourism of Porto and Northern Portugal), Luís Pedro Martins, and the President of the Instituto do Vinho do Douro e do Porto (Port and Douro Wines Institute), Gilberto Churches, were present at the Best of Wine Tourism awards.

Municipality takes on a role in future wine tourism solutions

The city councillor for Tourism and Internationalisation also participated on Tuesday in the forum “Wine Tourism: Digital & Sustainability”, as part of Wine & Travel Week, which is to run until Sunday.

Catarina Santos Cunha summed up the Municipality's commitment to being “the driving force of a collective network of promotion of Porto as a globally prestigious wine tourism destination”.

“The city, which literally served as a port of departure for Douro wines, Port Wine, and Vinho Verde Wines for the whole world, today becomes a port of arrival for all those who, attracted by the reputation and, I would even say, passion, for our wines and our wine culture, want to know the origin of our wines, the diversity of our terroirs, the legacy of generations dedicated to the art of making wine, and the inherent relationship between our gastronomy and our wines,” said the city councillor, finishing with the message: “Count on us, and challenge us to think and design future solutions with you”.