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| Secretary of State for Tourism Bernardo Trindade |
By Kim Se-jeong
Staff Reporter
Portuguese tourism authorities are trying to turn a crisis into an opportunity.
Portuguese Secretary of State for Tourism Bernardo Trindade stopped by Korea early last week for a one-day visit in an attempt to "sell Portuguese tourism."
Trindade told The Korea Times, "Despite economic crisis, we think it's time to expand our portfolio concerning some new markets."
The Portuguese official acknowledged that with economic development, Asian countries, including Korea, have become targets of Portuguese tourism.
He took a positive note of a number of Korean tourists to Portugal. Twenty thousand Koreans travel to Portugal annually, and it's good start, he said.
The deputy secretary said Portugal has a lot to offer, distinguishing it from other European countries.
Then he suggested a golf tour, religious tourism in Fatima, heritage and modernity in Lisbon and beaches along the coast.
Portugal is on the western tip of the European continent. With the Mediterranean Sea separating it from Africa, the country has maintained cultural diversity, which the official referred to as one of its strongest points.
Trindade said Portugal is shifting to the unknown in terms of tourism and will more actively promote projects in the region.
The current tourism office, overlooked by a Korean businessman, will soon be filled with staff members dispatched from Lisbon and with more diverse and accurate information for prospective tourists.
He acknowledged one could only fly to Portugal from Korea with stops in Madrid, Frankfurt or Paris. Yet, he was optimistic that orchestrated efforts by governments would eventually make direct flights possible.
[출처 : 코리아타임스]
