Portugal ganhou, pela primeira vez, o prémio de melhor destino europeu dos World Travel Awards, os ‘óscares do Turismo’ numa cerimónia que decorreu este sábado, em São Petersburgo, na Rússia. O Algarve conquistou o WTA para melhor destino de praia e a Madeira foi eleita o melhor destino insular.

Presente na cerimónia, a secretária de Estado do Turismo, Ana Mendes Godinho, comentou que receber esta distinção inédita “é uma honra e um grande orgulho” e mostra que “todo o país é um ativo incrível e motivo de visita”.

Para a governante, o prémio é resultado do “empenho de todos em tornar Portugal um destino turístico de excelência, com uma diversidade de oferta única e que se estende por todo o território”.

“Ser o país a ganhar este prémio é um claro indício de que estamos no bom caminho, aquele que mostra a diversidade que temos para oferecer, de norte a sul, do litoral ao interior”, acrescentou.

Além de Portugal, estavam nomeados para o prémio Áustria, Reino Unido, França, Alemanha, Grécia, Irlanda, Itália, Noruega, Espanha, Suécia, Suíça e Turquia.

Nesta cerimónia, Portugal foi o país que mais prémios recebeu, “30% do total”, segundo informação da Secretaria de Estado. O país recolheu 37 ‘óscares’, mais 13 do que em 2016.

Estes reconhecimentos “trazem a responsabilidade acrescida de continuarmos, sempre, a qualificar os nossos destinos, a nossa oferta, os nossos recursos humanos e a inovar de forma a garantir que estamos à altura das exigências de uma procura cada vez mais sofisticada e exigente”, acrescentou Ana Mendes Godinho.

Na cerimónia, o Turismo de Portugal, pela quarta vez consecutiva, foi eleito o melhor organismo europeu oficial de turismo.

Luís Araújo, presidente do Turismo de Portugal, manifestou o “enorme orgulho” da distinção para um “organismo que tem apenas dez anos”.

“Se o Turismo de Portugal goza, hoje, de uma notoriedade e reputação inigualáveis, é devido a todos quantos, diariamente, se esforçam para ultrapassar desafios e superar recordes, tendo em mente um objetivo comum: liderar o turismo do futuro”, afirmou.

“Este é, sem dúvida, também um reconhecimento da nossa estratégia turística e dos bons resultados que, ano após ano, o setor tem vindo a alcançar. Não é por acaso que o exemplo português é já considerado um ‘case study’ [caso de estudo] internacional”, concluiu Luís Araújo.

O porto de Lisboa foi também eleito “Melhor Porto de Cruzeiros da Europa”, pela qualidade de serviços e pelas infraestruturas disponíveis para os turistas que visitam e fazem escala na cidade.

Os World Travel foram criados em 1993 e a seleção dos nomeados é realizada à escala mundial por milhares de profissionais do setor.

Eis as listagens completas

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