The municipality of Braga was the venue for the biannual meeting of stakeholders of the Polycentric Sustainable Tourism (POST) project, 75% co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund through the Interreg Atlantic Area programme. The meeting took place at the Hotel do Parque, an ideal setting for joint reflection on a more balanced and sustainable tourism model for the whole of the European Atlantic territory.

During the day, national, regional and local entities met to advance in the design of strategies to mitigate the negative effects of mass tourism. The session was developed as a space for consultation and coordination between key actors, with the aim of continuing to build a more participatory model committed to territorial sustainability.

The POST project proposes an innovative vision of tourism, based on the concept of ‘Polycentric Tourism’, which is committed to the redistribution of tourist flows towards less saturated areas, thus boosting local economies, fostering territorial cohesion and offering authentic and personalised experiences.

Among the priority objectives recalled during the meeting in Braga, the following stand out:

• Promote a more balanced distribution of visitors, avoiding concentration in already overcrowded traditional destinations.
• Develop tailor-made tourism products aimed at high quality markets and visitors with high purchasing power, which generate economic benefits distributed in a fairer way.
• Improve the sustainability and cohesion of the territory, integrating local communities in decision-making on tourism development.

This meeting consolidates the commitment of the POST project partners to build a common strategy for the development of more resilient, sustainable and diverse destinations in the Atlantic Area.