Sustainable Tourism Law

SUSTAINABILITY AS A STRATEGIC VECTOR OF TOURISM 469 “Lidador’s Inn”). The goal is a joint operation of further Pousada of Portugal structures to be set up in that medieval village. This is the affirmation of a concept and the continuation of a project, clearly stating that the use of certified heritage sites for the purpose of creating unique atmospheres and tourist experiences does not correspond to a past reality, on the contrary, it is an inherent part of the tourism product that Pousadas are capable of creating and making available to their public. Pousadas, nevertheless, have never and still do not confine their interventions in the field of sustainability to the structures of buildings, however important they may be. Indeed, they do not neglect and even turn gardens and vegetable gardens representative of the regional culture or the period of construction of the buildings into selling points. In this regard, we should highlight the cases of the gardens of the Pousada do Convento de Beja, the Pousada do Castelo do Alvito, the Pousada Palácio de Estói and the Pousada do Mosteiro Guimarães, where it is possible to find documentation about the local culture and traditions, such as the typical atmosphere of Monasteries or Convents. Likewise, Pousadas have always focused on the regional gastronomy, each of them being responsible for serving typical dishes of the areas where they are located. For this purpose, Pousadas have always used genuine regional products, an effective guarantee of quality and preservation of the original flavours, making it more likely that the gastronomy is classified as a cultural resource andmaintains significant status. Finally, one should emphasize the role of Pousadas of Portugal as a factor of regional development. Taking Tourism to vast areas of the country where there was no Tourism and creating jobs in the locations where they set up their establishments, Pousadas of Portugal allowed the populations to settle in their places of origin and, in some cases, were even able to attract qualified staff. On the other hand, Pousadas have always promoted the revitalisation of services related to the hotel business (such as restaurants, newspapers and handicrafts), which are essential for the life of the local and regional communities where they operate. Thus, either for the restoration or adaptation of monuments and other outstanding buildings typical of our architecture or for being a factor of development of their respective areas, the concept of sustainability, in its different presentations, has been an integral part of the matrix of characteristics of Pousadas of Portugal for more than 75 years. In any case, it is relevant to mention that this tradition of sustainability is alive and well nowadays, and will be projected into the future as one of the most significant and differentiating factors of Pousadas de Portugal.