The National Tourism Award (PNT), promoted by Expresso and BPI - sponsored by the Ministry of Economy and Sea, with institutional support from Turismo de Portugal, and technical support from Deloitte as knowledge partner -, distinguishes the best companies, practices and tourism projects in Portugal.
The 4th edition of the PNT received 743 applications in five categories: Authentic Tourism, Gastronomic Tourism, Inclusive Tourism, Innovative Tourism and Sustainable Tourism. The applications were assessed by Technical Committees and a Jury made up of representatives from different sections of Portuguese society. Quality and innovation of the supply, customer satisfaction, environmental qualification, operational performance and contribution to tourism development were some of the criteria considered for the assessment and election of the winners.
// PNT 2022 Winners
_ Authentic tourism
Winner
Rotas Açores - Cultural and Landscape Itineraries Initiative - project to structure the Azorean Cultural and Landscape Touring supply promoted by the Regional Secretariat of Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures, which includes 48 circuits distributed by the nine islands of the archipelago and subordinated to the whaling, vineyards and volcanoes themes.
_ Gastronomic tourism
Winner
Chefs on Fire slow cooking event - an event held in Cascais and considered the biggest gastronomic festival in the country, with several renowned national chefs cooking with fire and to the sound of music.
Honourable Mention
Gastronomic weekends in Porto and Northern Portugal - annual gastronomic itinerary (excluding the summer months) aimed at promoting the gastronomy and wines of the municipalities within the Porto and Northern Portugal Tourism Region.
_ Inclusive tourism
Ex-equo award to two entities
É Um Restaurante (Lisbon) - social project open to the public that promotes training and inclusion in the labour market for homeless people. An initiative of the Crescer na Maior Community Intervention Association, with the support of the City Council of Lisbon and the Lisbon School of Hospitality and Tourism.
Azores All in Blue - Tourism & Autism (São Miguel) - R&D project that aims to investigate and enhance the tourism experience of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and their caregivers. It is promoted by CDIJA - Centro de Desenvolvimento InfantoJuvenil dos Açores (Azores Children and Adolescences Development Centre), based in Lagoa, on the island of São Miguel, with the support of the Açoreana Travel Agency.
_ Innovative tourism
Winner
Digital Nomads Madeira Islands - initiative that aimed to highlight the islands of Madeira and Porto Santo as attractive destinations for Digital Nomads, through a pilot project that took place in Ponta do Sol. Project promoted by Startup Madeira More than ideas, with the support of the regional government.
_ Sustainable tourism
Winner
Top Atlântico +Planeta - initiative promoted by the Top Atlântico travel agency, which has been awarded Biosphere certification by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, in recognition of the promotion of a more sustainable tourism model, through internal measures to reduce waste, improve conditions for employees, support more needy entities and the creation of two marketplaces for the sale of used, organic and/or self-produced products, among others. The project also has a commitment to the Quercus "Creating Forests" programme, as a mechanism to offset the CO2 footprint created by the +Sustainable Travel flights.
_ Career Award
In 2022 and by decision of the jury, the Career Award went to Jorge Rebelo de Almeida, founder and chairman of the Vila Galé hotel group, who joins Dionísio Pestana, Mário Pereira Gonçalves and André Jordan, distinguished in previous years.
