Castelo Branco, Portugal, Sept. 17, 2026 (Lusa) - The president of Turismo Centro Portugal said on Thursday that a water sports centre should be seen as a genuine regional network, not just a series of activities on the water.
«A tourist destination will only be truly sustainable if it is, first and foremost, a good place to live for those who live there,» said the president of Turismo Centro Portugal at the opening session of the Central Portugal Water Sports Forum, which runs until Friday in Castelo Branco.
The event is taking place at the Castelo Branco Centre for Contemporary Culture and brings together local councillors, academics and business representatives, under the theme ‘Tourism, Sustainability and Water Sports'.
Rui Ventura said that holding this event in Castelo Branco in itself conveys an important message.
«When we talk about water sports tourism in Central Portugal, we are talking about the coast and much more. We are talking about our entire region. We are talking about the sea, the rivers, the reservoirs and the river beaches. We are talking about surfing, canoeing, fishing and so many other activities. But above all, we are talking about the ability to transform our natural resources into sustainable, high-quality tourist experiences that generate value for our territories.» He also emphasised that this is precisely the vision that Turismo do Centro has been advocating: «A region develops by including all parts of its territory. I want to make one point clear here. We want a Central Portugal that encompasses the whole region, not a ‘Coastal Central Portugal' and a separate ‘Inland Central Portugal'. We want a Central Portugal capable of connecting its different territories into a network.» Rui Ventura argued that a water sports resort should be seen as more than a series of activities carried out on the water.
«It is much more than that. It is a genuine regional network. It encompasses accommodation, catering and gastronomy, tourist entertainment, heritage and culture, retail and services, sport and nature. When we manage to link all of this together, we achieve something far more important. We'll create reasons for people to stay longer in our region and, above all, to return or encourage others to visit the region.» For the president of Turismo do Centro, this logic should always guide tourism strategy: a logic of value creation.
He emphasised that Central Portugal aims to grow in value rather than merely in numbers: «All this growth must be sustainable. Sustainability must mean preserving resources – resources that set us apart. It must mean respecting the capacity of our regions, involving our communities and ensuring that tourism leaves economic and social value wherever it takes place.» The Mayor of Castelo Branco, Leopoldo Rodrigues, said he aims to keep the region a destination for quality, sustainable tourism rather than mass tourism.
«Our municipality boasts three outstanding nautical areas [Lentiscais, Santa Águeda and Pisco], which demonstrate the enormous potential of our waterways for sport, leisure and attracting visitors. We want to continue to develop these strategic assets, establishing the inland region as a place of innovation, sustainability and quality of life.» Meanwhile, the coordinator of PROVERE Náutica do Centro de Portugal emphasised that the inland and the coast have forged a very successful link.
Hélder Almeida also said the region has 19 certified water sports centres, nine on the coast and 10 inland.
«It is this approach that we intend to follow. Whenever we talk about water sports, we are talking about opportunities for the region.» The president of the Central Portugal Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDRC), who was unable to attend the opening of this forum in person, delivered a speech online and said that PROVERE is a strategy for collective efficiency that aims to pool public and private capabilities across the region, enabling a strategy that adds value.
«There can only be a strategy for collective efficiency if everyone plays their part,» he concluded.
CCC/ADB // ADB.
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