What is the secret of Portugal's success? A question posed by the Algarve’s tourist authority, now under the management of João Fernades.
Currently, Portugal is in the centre of worldwide attention, re-elected as the best tourist destination in the world and the recipient of a record number of gongs at the World Travel Awards.
There are several things that put Portugal on the map but the Algarve’s Tourist Regional body (RTA) believes that the future of tourism lies in research and academic training which it states are indispensable to leverage the development of this most profitable sector in Portugal.
The University of the Algarve, "has played a leading role in this area and has achieved a leading position in the Shanghai ‘Global Ranking of Academic Subjects,’ one of the most prestigious in the world.
This ranking highlights the University’s performance in scientific productivity and quality research in Hospitality & Tourism Management."
Fernandes comments, "It is with great satisfaction that I see the University of the Algarve is on the list of the best in the world for tourism research. Without science there is no economic and social progress, and the tourism sector needs excellent research that allows us to anticipate the future and effectively respond to the tourist dynamics, giving us the ability to influence them in our favour."
The president of the RTA continues, "The excellence of tourism in Portugal also is a result of the quality of the University’s research and this is another extraordinary contribution from the region to the good of tourist in the country."
The ‘Shanghai ranking’ assesses higher education institutions from 80 countries. It is based on indicators of scientific productivity and quality of research, namely, the number of articles published, the quality of publications, the number of citations, articles published with international collaboration and research awards.
In 2018, the University of the Algarve appears in this ranking in five areas, with an emphasis on Tourism Management.
