Seventeen new tourist accommodations awarded the 'Trust Porto' seal

Seventeen new tourist accommodations were awarded, this Wednesday, the 'Confiança Porto/Trust Porto' within the municipal recognition programme. This initiative demonstrates the municipality's commitment to qualifying the tourist accommodation sector and recognising excellence in service provision, and the adoption of good practices in its business model, in the management, human resources management, cleaning, maintenance and sustainability areas.

Accommodations managed by different entities now bear the 'Trust Porto' seal, namely Feel Porto - Alojamento Local e Serviços Turísticos LDA, Ruby Charm Houses Empreendimentos Turísticos Lda, and Época Amena, LDA, distributed in different areas of the city: Campanhã, Massarelos and Lapa.

Unlike the first award ceremony held at Mercado do Bolhão in 2023, the Councillor for Tourism and Internationalisation chose to go to the accommodations in person to deliver the award, taking advantage of the moment to interact and get to know the realities and expectations of tourist accommodation managers.

For Catarina Santos Cunha, 'the visit to these spaces confirmed the level of quality of the accommodation provided by the city, which makes me feel proud. The excellence of the service provided was notable in the hospitable nature of those who welcomed us, which demonstrates everyone's daily commitment to providing unique experiences to those who visit us', she emphasised.

'I am delighted to see that the close relationship between the private and public sectors has been strengthened and that everyone is committed to working in favour of affirming the excellence of the destination', the Councillor for Tourism added.

Managers satisfied with quality seal award

The managers of the recognised tourist accommodation were pleased with the award. 'It was with great honour that we embraced the project launched by the City Council to raise awareness and boost tourist accommodation in a responsible and sustainable way', Maria João Abreu, owner and manager of Ruby Charm Houses local accommodation underlined.

'Our company has always believed that only with the close collaboration of local authorities, tour operators, businesses and local inhabitants can there be tourism of quality, excellence and of reference in the cities', he emphasised, adding: 'We'd like to encourage the other tourist accommodation establishments to join 'Trust Porto', so that we can see our spaces recognised and valued in an increasingly demanding and competitive market'.

Maria João Abreu also left a word of appreciation for all the support and collaboration provided by the municipality's Tourism Department during the accommodations' recognition process.

The themes that differentiate the 'Trust Porto' programme were well chosen

Feel Porto's Chief Operating Officer also recognised the importance of being awarded the seal to its tourist accommodation. 'An award that emphasises the excellence of our service provision in the tourism sector, in line with the destination's new sustainability vision', he said.

Mário Pinheiro revealed that his company is committed to digitalisation and sustainability. 'This recognition validates our commitment to providing authentic and enriching experiences while promoting responsible tourism practices', he said.

Catarina Jorge, representative of 108 MM House, assured that 'the themes that distinguish the 'Trust Porto' programme were well chosen'. 'We are very pleased with the recognition awarded to our little 'Oasis', as it has been called by our guests, and also the fact that we have the opportunity to show it off. We hope to exceed the expectations of guests and visitors alike', she added.

Representatives of tourist accommodations can submit their application to the 'Trust Porto - Tourist Accommodation' Municipal Recognition Programme and the respective request to schedule a technical visit by filling in the appropriate form, available on the Portal do Munícipe. All the information about the programme can be found here.