Currently there are 5 Portuguese geoparks that are part of the UNESCO World Network. These are considered to be unique territories with landscapes and sites of high geological relevance, which are based on an integrated management of various elements, such as the conservation and protection of natural and cultural values that led to their recognition, education, sustainable development and the involvement of local communities.
Turismo de Portugal, together with the Portuguese geoparks, are developing efforts for the structuring of the national geoparks network, aiming to improve the product and the tourist experience in a network logic, the increase of sustainability practices, as a differentiating element of this supply and also a concerted approach of national and international promotion. The promotion of the national geoparks network will allow the creation of synergies and optimisation of technical and financial resources, as well as making profitable, from the point of view of promotion and sale, the world network to which the Geoparks belong, which will allow to reach very varied segments of demand in terms of issuing markets and interested in the geotourism theme.
Thus, the development of this network is part of three lines of action defined by the 2027 Tourism Strategy: territorial cohesion in terms of tourism business, reducing the tourist seasonality and growing in value.
For a geopark to be recognised by UNESCO and, subsequently, integrated into its World Network there are fundamental requirements that must be previously fulfilled:
_ geological heritage of international value;
_ management assured by a body with legal existence recognised in the legislation of their countries, in which are included several relevant stakeholders that act in the territory, either public and/or private entities;
_ territories that promote local development in a sustainable manner, namely through geotourism, including the stimulation of scientific tourism, using promotional and dissemination initiatives, aiming at the visibility and recognition of the target audiences;
_ beyond that, a UNESCO Global Geopark not only aims at networking with its different stakeholders, it also includes the development of cooperation with other UNESCO World Geoparks, so that, in a network, learnings and experiences are tested, aiming at improving the quality of the UNESCO Global Geopark label.
