On March 25th, the opening ceremony of the 30th anniversary celebrations of the Porto and North of Portugal Tourism Association took place at the Ferreira Cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia.

The event began with an opening session led by Luís Pedro Martins, President of the Association, who officially kicked off the celebrations, followed by a message from Pedro Machado, the Secretary of State for Tourism.

The ceremony continued with a roundtable discussion on the theme “Legacy and Future,” bringing together key figures who were part of the institution's founding: Manuela de Melo, President of the Board in 1995, Fernando Gomes, Mayor of Porto in 1995, and Nuno Botelho, representing the Porto Commercial Association, which chaired the General Council at the time of its foundation. The session also featured Lídia Monteiro, Director of Visit Portugal.

During the event, Luís Pedro Martins highlighted the region's evolution over the past three decades: in 1995, the North recorded 2.4 million overnight stays — 95.6% of which were domestic tourists. Today, the situation is quite different: 14.1 million annual overnight stays (+487%), with an 858% increase in overnight stays from foreign tourists. A major highlight was the Douro region, which grew from 13,000 to 400,000 overnight stays, and the Minho region, with 1.5 million overnight stays by residents.

The event also featured the presentation of the annual program of celebrations, as well as the commemorative 30th anniversary seal (which all members can download here), which closed the morning with a Porto de Honra.

This event marked the beginning of a year dedicated to celebration, sharing, and a forward-looking vision, bringing together all those who have contributed to the recognition of Porto and North of Portugal as a destination of excellence.

Full programme for the 30th anniversary celebrations:

March – May
• Opening ceremony of the anniversary celebrations
• Launch of the “30 Years” commemorative stamp
• 2nd Padel Tournament
• Launch of the new Porto and North destination portal
• Launch of the Marketplace Affiliate Program
• Inauguration of the 1st phase of the Sustainable Headquarters
• Presentation of the Ignition Training program
• Connections in Tourism by Porto & North focused on segments A, B and C under the theme “Air/ Porto”

June – August
• Presentation of the M&I Strategy
• Launch of the Ambassadors Club
• Launch of Ofélia de Souza 2.0
• Special session at QSP Summit
• ATPN Family’s Arraial Minhoto
• Ocean Race
• Connections in Tourism by Porto & North focused on segments D, E and F under the theme “Sea/ Minho”

September – December
• Porto and North Tourism Gala
• “30 Years, 30 Awards, 30 Stories” tribute
• Presentation of the Sustainability Certification Strategy
• ICCA World Congress
• Connections in Tourism by Porto & North focused on segments G, H and I under the theme “Land/ Trás-os-Montes”

January – March 26
• Presentation of the POS Marketplace Strategy
• Launch of the Porto & North Card
• Opening of the permanent exhibition “30 Years of Porto and North Tourism”
• Elections for Governing Bodies 26–28
• Connections in Tourism by Porto & North focused on segments J, K, L, M and N under the theme “Fire/ Douro”
• Launch of the book “30 Years of Porto and North Tourism”

All year round
• Podcast series with special guests
• Corporate Responsibility Program
• Road Map to the ICCA Congress
• Partner’s Lab