Portugal: first country to win award for being an Accessible Tourist Destination

The UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has presented Portugal with the Accessible Tourist Destination 2019 award. This makes Portugal the first country to receive the title that was awarded in the 23rd General Assembly of the UNWTO, held at St. Petersburg, Russia.
This is the first time that the award has been given to any country by the UNWTO, and it was in partnership with ONCE Foundation. According to reports, there is a market of 90 million tourists, who are in need of specific mobility in Europe. Thus, this award is an important milestone for the country. Portugal’s Secretary of State for Tourism, Ana Mendes Godinho has said in a statement that the award is a boost for the country, and is an encouragement to become the most inclusive travel destination in the world.


The Portuguese government has made it a priority to make the country accessible for all, and in 2016 they had launched the All for All Programme in this regard. The country worked on creating accessible itineraries all across the country, and promoting accessibility offerings. All of this made it possible for Portugal to become an inclusive destination for all. Under the Valorizar Supporting Programme, the country launched a specific financing line to support such tourism projects.
The country has completed 116 projects until now, and has spent EUR 20 million, while receiving the aid of EUR 14 million. If you are in Portugal, you will find that the accessibility project has opened up places such as Convento de Cristo, Castelo de Sao Jorge, Palacio Nacional de Mafra, and Caves Calem.