The Algarve’s tourist board has launched the "Algarve Walking Season" brand to promote the hiking festivals that the region will host and which aim to promote nature tourism and to help do away with the old bugbear, ‘seasonality.’
The new brand follows a strategy that first was defined five years ago, to focus on nature tourism as a product that would generate an alternative reason to visit the region, according to João Fernandes, the vice president of the tourism body and contender for the job of president, if he can oust Desidério Silva this May.
The "Algarve Walking Season" brand was presented in Alcoutim, at the launch of the Alcoutim Hiking Festival, one of the initiatives included in the new brand.
"In order to increase awareness of the destination for ‘contact with nature,’ there already are two very interesting initiatives: the Ameixial Festival and the Alcoutim (pictured) Hiking Festival, which we sought to support, stimulate and later create synergies. From this came the idea of creating a calendar of hiking festivals in the Algarve that happen outside the high season and take place inland areas,” added Fernandes.
In addition to these two events, there is the Lagos Walking Festival, organised by Almargem.
"With this triology we managed to create a calendar of hiking festivals throughout the year," said Fernandes, stressing that "each one is a thematic festival" that relies on local identity, traditions and typical cuisine."
The official blurb reads as follows:
The AWS - Algarve Walking Season is a regional project to promote a calendar of walking festivals in the Algarve, an initiative from QRER Cooperative in partnership with the Algarve Tourism Bureau.
It is a regional bet to promote in an integrated and cooperative way, the festivals in the Algarve, namely the Walking Festival Ameixial- the first of its kind to be held in the Algarve, and perhaps in Portugal - and the Alcoutim Walking Festival and a third festival to be held in November.
AWS - Algarve Walking Season 2018 calendar is promoting:
- Alcoutim Walking Festival | April 6th to 8th
- Walking Festival Ameixial | April 27th to 29th
- Lagos Walking Festival | November 1st to 4th
The project manager is QRER - Cooperative for the Development of Low Density Territories, with the sponsor from the Algarve Tourism Bureau, and in partnership with the Alcoutim Municipality and Almargem NGO.
The initiative was approved under a support line from Portugal Tourism Bureau / Algarve Tourism Bureau.
