By DAISY SAMPSON
PORTUGAL AND Spain are working together to try to increase the number of American tourists visiting Iberia.
Tourism officials in the two countries have announced their renewed financial support and commitment to the PortugalSpainBoth campaign, aimed at encouraging tourists from the US to visit the Iberian Peninsula as a single destination choice.
The project, which was originally launched in 2006, uses online and print marketing to highlight the main attractions in Portugal and Spain while offering tour packages that encompass both countries.
Specific locations in each country are marked as “destination highlights”, including the Algarve which is described as comprising a mixture of “breathtaking scenery, ancient history and modern resorts”.
Luís Moura of the Portuguese tourism board, Turismo de Portugal, said: “This is an important project for Portugal and for our continued support of our US travel partners.
“We are confident that our key partners will take full advantage of this platform to showcase their products to consumers and retail travel agents.”
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Spanish tourist board representative Javier Pianes said: “We are keen to continue our efforts to promote the two destinations with PortugalSpainBoth and naturally we are eager to drive brand presence in the US leisure market.”
The PortugalSpainBoth concept utilises the idea that American tourists are open to travelling widely while on a single holiday.
Diverse
American tourist Tom Wilson from Denver told The Resident: “We are here in the Algarve for two days and were in Lisbon before this. Our holiday in the Algarve is part of a tour we are doing of most of Europe. We are moving on to Spain next. Our friends who have travelled to Europe have always visited more than one country at a time because they are quite small and close together.”
The PortugalSpainBoth initiative is just one of a number of schemes organised by Turismo de Portugal to promote Portugal to the US market.
As well as tourist packages, Turismo de Portugal has been promoting Portugal as an ideal base for conferencing and events because of its geographical position between the US and the rest of Europe.
At a trade fair in Chicago last month, copies of the Portugal Meeting Guide were being distributed to potential clients.
The guide is a comprehensive listing of facilities in the country giving easy access to all information including hotel contacts and event venues, showing Portugal as a diverse world destination.
For further information about the initiative please visit www.portugalspainboth.com (available in English).
