Portugal’s government has approved “Revive Nature”, a programme for promoting the recuperation of vacant state properties in the countryside.


There were 96 properties identified to be integrated into a special real estate fund, whose objective is rehabilitation and subsequent organisation for tourism.


Deputy economy minister, Pedro Siza, said that the initial list of properties is mostly composed of former houses of forest guards and former tax posts that are scattered throughout the country but in remarkable rural locations.


“These properties will be allocated to a fund of a public management company and will subsequently be made available by tender to those wishing to use them for tourism. It is expected that the fund will support the financing of the recuperation that will be carried out by those wanting to use these properties”.


According to the government, nature tourism is one of the segments with the highest growth in international demand and is part of the reason for promoting sustainable tourism that takes advantage of ecological, geological and cultural characteristics of each natural area.


Launch of the first tenders is expected to take place next year.