We’ve been talking a fair amount about the various discussions and policies taking place or being implemented, and this is one of them. This partnership also includes several marketing campaigns that are part of a larger promotional action approved by Turismo de Portugal for 2013.

These strategies have been implemented by ATA since January with the collaboration from a variety of tour operators from many European countries including Germany, the UK, Spain, The Netherlands, Ireland, Poland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Austria, Belgium and France.

According to this overall plan of ‘attack’, a total of 29 campaigns will be launched throughout this year as part of the ‘sun, sea and golf’ promotional message meant to attract more visitors to the Algarve.

Part of this overall plan is a strategy to support the airlines with ATA aiming to not only consolidate existing tourism routes but also to create new connections in order to attract other potential markets, farther away markets such as Canada for instance. As we mentioned earlier, eleven airlines will be receiving the full support from the association to carry out a variety of localized promotional campaigns in countries like Canada, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Holland, Ireland, the UK and Germany.

It’s pretty clear that there are several potential and emerging markets that are yet to be covered by this strategic plan from the Algarve Tourism Association , places like Russia and other Eastern European countries. For these regions, ATA has chosen the option of ‘taking the Algarve to them’, by way of making presentations and workshops in the main cities of these various countries and inviting tour operators, travel agencies and journalists to learn about and visit the Algarve.

It appears that a similar project is underway for regional tourism as well, because what better place to start promoting one’s touristic capabilities than in one’s own country.

The project is called ‘Rediscovering the Algarve’s Secrets’ and is part of the tourism authority’s push to show both journalists and tour operators alike some of the region’s hidden gems. Focusing on the ‘hidden’ part might just be one of the things needed to boost the region’s tourism, since the major gems are quite popular by now.

The first of these ‘familiarization trips’ will be held in Alcoutim on April 18 and the twenty participants will be exploring the region as well as its tourism potential as well as partake in a number of special activities prepared for their enjoyment.

A statement from Desiderio Silva – the president of the Algarve Tourism Board – said that journalists are needed to be made aware of the Algarve from a different perspective, so that they can then in turn help to ‘sell’ the destination much better through their own experiences. The idea behind  this initiative being that the Algarve has many more points of interest with high tourist potential that are not known to the wider holiday-making public, and this will definitely help.

Other familiarization trips are planned to take place until the end of the year, with the next one taking place in Albufeira in May.

A great idea, and quite an innovative one, showing that the Algarve Tourism Board is seriously looking into all sorts of solutions to their overall problems; the effects of this project won’t be very large and most likely won’t be seen for a couple of months at least, but they project is definitely a step in the right direction.