TALKING SHOP


spotlight on...Alentejo Wise up and sell...we take you beyond 'obvious' Portugal


Why consider Alentejo? For visitors looking for something different and those who want to really get to know 'real' Portugal, Alentejo is an authentic option. This is not a mass-market destination but does offer beaches, rural and heritage options ideal for the discerning traveller.


Fast facts Alentejo is Portugal’s biggest region and covers one-third of the entire country - but is home to just 10 per cent of the population. It is a vast area of open countryside and farmland, and can be accessed via either Faro or Lisbon. Good motorways run into and through the region, making fl y-drive easy.


Top stops Evora – a historic town and a UNESCO World Heritage Site Alqueva – the biggest artifi cial lake in the Europe


Must sees Alentejo is the kind of gentle place where holiday highlights are those that visitors just happen upon. Castle towns and hilltop villages are dotted among olive groves and vineyards. There are rugged uncrowded beaches, hills and endless plains; cork forests, poppy


and sunfl ower-fi lled fi elds. It is a great 'escape' destination perfect for those who want to get away from it all - and home to the local Lusitano horses.


Sell the experiences • Wine tasting tours - wine tour routes are well marked with maps available • Olive oil trails - olive oil tour routes are well marked with maps available • Heritage trails - link together the historic frescos, marble architecture, Roman or Moorish historic sites, Megalithic sites, Manueline monuments or Baroque palaces and churches • Activity holidays - cycling, mountain biking, walking, horse-riding and watersports all abound • Nature holidays • Push the gastronomy - local specialities are well worth trying


How to sell Jose Preto da Silva, Alentejo Tourism advises: "People are living longer and the majority of clients are now older and have higher expectations. They are looking for experience-based holidays and agents who prepare themselves professionally to meet the demands of niche markets will prosper in the future. "When it comes to Portugal, the


Algarve has had a lot of development and a lot of promotion but it is good to look beyond this now and to realise the diversity of product that will really appeal to a wide range of niche markets."


Top tips • Target small groups • Target couples looking for the authentic/’real’ Portugal • Sell self-drive - easy and rewarding • Target independent travellers looking for something different


• Recommend to repeat visitors to Portugal who want to get to know the true character of the destination


Useful contacts www.visitalentejo.com info@turismodoalentejo.pt


appreciate life.


Where to book it Destination Portugal www.destination-portugal.co.uk Revamped website now offers not only accommodation but also special offers and packages to Portugal. All are fully commissionable.


Keytel www.keytel.co.uk This specialist pousadas supplier feature character accommodation right across the region.


Been there…Selling that!


Mary Anne Popoff Director


Destination Portugal “Self-drive is easy in the Alentejo region and its


heritage attractions can be easily put together in a tailor-made package with lots of added value. Suggest renting a cruiser and exploring Alguera - a beautiful, easily navigated lake in the province. Maps are provide and no prior qualifi cations required.”


Jose Preto da Silva Alentejo Tourism “Alentejo is a place where people can slow down, relax and really It is a place of good


food and wine, breathtaking natural attractions and has a diverse cultural appeal. Rural tourism is in fashion at the moment so there has never been a better time to suggest somewhere like Alentejo to those looking for something different."


www.shortbreaksholidays.com • Spring 2011 47


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