The Tourism industry is comprised of a myriad of different cogs, all working together to keep the gears turning while rethinking its age-old practices to align with the principles of sustainability, travelers' impact on local housing, and preserving natural and cultural assets. Journalists and authors like Paige McClanahan, for one, explored the changing face of the tourist industry and its impact on the sector in her interview with IPBN Media Partner TNews. At the same time, academic researchers continue to push boundaries with their various scholarly articles on the topic. Business as usual is getting a necessary shakedown to be more in line with global values, and more changes are on the horizon to see them through which begs the question: Where do we go from here? 

The Ireland Portugal Business Network (IPBN) is pleased to announce the 3rd Edition of its annual Tourism Conference on Thursday, November 14 from 9h to 13h local time to take place at the WoW Art Gallery in Porto. As reported by IPBN Media Partner The Portugal News, the city of Porto and Porto and Northern Portugal Tourism are the national tourism brands that achieved the best reputation in 2023, which is why the network has partnered with local event catalyst and cultural district World of Wine (WoW) to bring the conference to life in the heart of this destination powerhouse. The network is committed to highlighting the city's vibrant tourism ecosystem and invites you to explore and be inspired by the innovative spirit in the North of Portugal.

The conference will feature captivating panel discussions and conversations with experts who will guide attendees through best practices, groundbreaking insights, and business opportunities — an unmissable event for those seeking the answer to what makes this part of Portugal truly unique, and what the tourism industry is doing to preserve and promote it. The speakers, panelists, and attendees are dedicated to making this region sustainable and attractive to both visitors and businesses and are therefore keen to create and facilitate partnerships with local entities and businesses within the network. It will be a great opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with key industry players, IPBN members, and Executive Partners living in the region.

On that note, the IPBN is delighted to count on the presence of Alma Ní Choigligh, Ambassador of Ireland to Portugal, Luís Pedro Martins, President of Porto and North of Portugal Tourism Board, Rita Marques, Invited Faculty Member and Program Director at the Porto Business School, Champion of the Innovation Tourism Hub and Former Secretary of State for Tourism, Adrian Bridge, CEO of the Fladgate Partnership, owner of the WoW, and host for our conference, as well as Francisco Calheiros, President of Associação dos Amigos do Caminho Português de Santiago, and finally, Miriam Kennedy, Head of Wild Atlantic Way at Fáilte Ireland, representative of Tourism of Ireland.

To kick off the conference, IPBN Chair Geoffrey Graham will offer words of welcome and introduce Adrian Bridge for an opening statement. Next, Luís Pedro Martins will make an introduction to the strategy of promotion of the Northern Portuguese region followed by an exclusive conversation with Rita Marques and our Media Partner, The Portugal News, about Sustainable Tourism and the Innovation Tourism Hub, a dynamic hub that fosters innovation by co-creating knowledge in collaboration with organizations, entrepreneurs, and academia, driving positive impact through projects, applied research and educational programs.

Next on stage will be a panel discussion that will delve into the opportunities and challenges related to exploring and developing tourism in Portugal's interior regions with similarities between Ireland and Porto and the North of Portugal. This discussion will feature special guests Francisco Calheiros and Miriam Kennedy, and will be moderated by John Paul Prior, IPBN Porto Chairman.

On the topic of Success Business Stories: Highlighting innovation and successful case studies in the interior, there will then be a presentation of several case studies with Teresa Guimarães from Quinta do Rapozinho — Cabeceiras de Basto, Mafalda Ricca, Founder and CEO at X-Plora (now VizitAR), and Claudia Pereira Reis from Vale do Lobo Quinta. The case studies will be introduced by Isabel Vellozo Ferreira and will be followed by a light lunch and networking session, featuring the WoW wine producers.

The network thanks all involved for their incredible support: the WoW for the venue and Isabel Vellozo Ferreira, Partner at IPBN Executive Partner Vellozo Ferreira e Associados for all their contacts and efforts to make this conference possible. Registration is open here, so be sure to reserve a spot and get your gears turning for Porto.

A very special thank you as well to our sponsor Galineo, Search Engine marketing. Galineo takes care of your Google Adwords account and brings your business on the fast track. You focus on your day-to-day business while they focus on Google Marketing!

For more information, please contact Arnold Delville, the IPBN's General Manager at arnold.delville@ireland-portugal.com.

REGISTER HERE

More about the IPBN:

The Ireland Portugal Business Network (IPBN) was founded in 2016 to promote economic activity and business opportunities between Ireland and Portugal. It is supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland and works closely with the Irish Ambassador in Lisbon and both Irish and Portuguese State Agencies responsible for exporters, Enterprise Ireland and AICEP Portugal Global.

The network has a diverse membership across industries from Ireland and Portugal and offers real value to its members by sharing content for and about them, hosting events and activities that allow them to connect, be informed, hear new thinking and strategies, and more importantly, create new business opportunities. The IPBN introduces its members to key players/industry leaders in both markets and helps Irish businesses and entrepreneurs do business in Portugal and vice versa.