Last Friday, Alfândega do Porto welcomed the mayors of several cities in the world and other organisations, as well as professionals from the tourism sector, for the third edition of the UNWTO Mayors Forum for Sustainable Urban Tourism. The Mayor of Porto, the secretary general of the World Tourism Organization and the minister of State, Economy and Digital Transition participated in the opening ceremony.


The Mayor of Porto welcomed everyone and began by stressing that “if urban destinations were the most affected by the pandemic, they will also have to make an extra effort themselves in creating a new impetus and adopting new solutions in the transformation of the territory”.


For Rui Moreira, the city “has been adopting and encouraging good practices in planning and management of the city, namely in the context of tourism activity, stimulating a balance enjoyment of the territory by all, with the aim of bequeathing an inclusive and sustainable city for generations future.”


The Mayor of Porto also mentioned the new Municipal Masterplan, which shows "a strong commitment to sustainability", in issues such as the promotion of well-being and quality of life, the mitigation of socioeconomic inequalities, sustainable and smart mobility, and environmental quality, the preservation of cultural identity and the strengthening the economic position of the city.


“These days”, stressed Rui Moreira, “it is essential that cities assert themselves as smart destinations, with the implementation of technological and innovative solutions in the various sectors of urban life which promote their development, international projection, increase in attractiveness and the well-being of citizens and visitors”.


The Mayor of Porto ended his speech stating that “the city has made a very interesting journey with its eyes set on the future, with the purpose of making the city more resilient, safer, inclusive and sustainable, which requires an exercise of continuous readjustment of our strategy”.



Sustainable cities waiting for tourists


The secretary general of the World Tourism Organization, Zurab Pololikashvili, took the floor and addressed Rui Moreira and told that “you are very lucky to be the Mayor of this wonderful city”, noting that the “investment in infrastructure is always a means to invest in tourism" and shared his belief that "tourists will come more and more to see this fantastic place".


According to the secretary general, the pandemic “may be an opportunity to rethink the sector”, which must be “more resilient and inclusive”. Furthermore, "this is the right time to restart the debate on over tourism", with new rules, platforms, and innovative products, believes the UNWTO secretary general, who recalled that this forum is intended to "highlight the importance of tourism in the urban agenda”.


Zurab Pololikashvili ended up leaving a challenge for “all stakeholders to be part of a joint effort so that the sector is more sustainable, and more accessible in our cities”.


Closing the opening session, the Minister of State, Economy and Digital Transition, Pedro Siza Vieira, also acknowledged Porto as an example of the “benefits that tourism can bring to a region”, underlining the “huge effort to revitalise the city” that “brought prosperity and economic dynamism, and attracted foreign investment in different areas”.


The minister stated that the “success of the digital COVID certificate”, encouraging people to take “the huge benefit of this document”. "People want to continue traveling, so let us prepare for that the best way possible", said Pedro Siza Vieira, believing that "digital technologies will help us better manage the transportation system, flows and a better experience for residents and for visitors".


In recognition of the “hospitality of the city of Porto” and the commitment to “ensuring a sustainable future for cities”, the secretary general of the World Tourism Organization also delivered a souvenir to the Municipality of Porto.


The agenda was accompanied by the councillor for Economy, Tourism and Trade, Ricardo Valente, by the Secretary of State for Tourism, Rita Marques, by the president of Turismo de Portugal, Luís Araújo, and by the president of Turismo do Porto e Norte de Portugal, Luís Pedro Martins.


The discussion on “Rethinking Urban Tourism” and “Smart Cities and Tourism” can be watched on UNWTO’s YouTube. At the end of the day, the Porto Declaration on Tourism and the Future of Cities was signed.

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    Last updated 2022-12-06