Ten million more for tourism in the interior regions Transport and Related Services

Strong demand increases the value of the Valorizar program. 216 initiatives have been supported

The Secretary of State for Tourism is preparing to announce the reinforcement of the Valorizar program, in line with the increase in tourism in the interior. The budget allocation available ranges from 60 to 70 million euros "in view of the success of low-density areas," explains Ana Mendes Godinho, Secretary of State for Tourism.

This program finances the initiatives up to 70% of the value of the investment, up to a maximum of 300 thousand euros per project. It was launched in 2017 with national funds, it has seen the reinforced budget this year and now receives a new reinforcement of ten million euros. To date, the Secretary of State has revealed, 216 projects have been supported that have invested around 70 million euros in the interior territories and received close to 50 million euros of state contribution.

These include, for example, wine tourism projects, the EN2 route, the historic villages project, the Alto Minho, the Miguel Torga house, the Côa Museum, the Camino de Santiago or Fatima. There are projects from all regions of the interior of the country because the goal is "to open the tourist map of Portugal", explains Ana Mendes Godinho. In the first two warnings, the Government received about 1,000 applications that are "proof that, when conditions are created, these territories have a great life," adds the Secretary of State.

On the one hand, the program allows the valorization of territories and mune the Government of more tourist products to promote abroad. On the other hand, there are different projects for tourists looking for unique experiences, such as the Alqueva beaches in Monsaraz and Mourão, which registered record numbers of visitors this year, after qualifying for the Valorizar program.