This investment is part of the regional tourism entity’s commitment to nature tourism and is related to the Valuetur project, with the main objective being to make protected areas of natural, historical and cultural value, generators of sustainable economic activity.

The structures for the reception and visitation of the interpretive centre, provided under a protocol signed by Turismo do Algarve and by the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests, through the Regional Directorate for Nature Conservation and Forests of the Algarve (DRCNF), aim to guide visitors during their walk through the natural park area and reinforce the attractiveness of CEAM, to improve the quality of the service provided and to increase the number of people who annually look for this.

In addition to the equipment, there is also a new brochure to offer to those who pass through CEAM, also produced by Turismo do Algarve in partnership with DRCNF.

“The project contributes to the requalification of the reception structures of the interpretive centre, reinforcing its attractiveness and increasing its 30,000 annual visitors. No less important will be the fact that the presence of adequate signs in the territory promotes orderly visits and, consequently, the conservation and protection of habitats and protected species that constitute the motivation of nature tourism”, said Joaquim Castelão Rodrigues, regional director of DRCNF, an entity based in CEAM with responsibility for the management of the three protected areas of the Algarve.

But the actions under Valuetur do not stop there. To promote the region’s natural heritage to residents and national and foreign visitors, Turismo do Algarve is also preparing the edition of new brochures dedicated to the Natural Park of Southwest Alentejo and Costa Vicentina, the Natural Park of Ria Formosa and the Nature Reserve Sapal de Castro Marim and Vila Real de Santo António.

The brochures will be available in four languages (Portuguese, English, Spanish and French) and are an invitation to discover and preserve the diverse environments, describing the ecosystems, habitats and species of fauna and flora in each park.

“Valuetur is yet another example of successful cross-border collaboration. Through the project, we were able to reinforce our commitment to nature tourism, a product that is increasingly valued by national and foreign visitors and that for some years already corresponded to a market of 22 million trips annually in Europe”, said the president of Turismo do Algarve, João Fernandes.