02 Mar The cross-border Minho region strengthens the shared destination at the BTL in Lisbon.
Porto and Northern Portugal Tourism and the Rio Minho EGTC presented the Visit Rio Minho Plus project at BTL – Lisbon Tourism Exchange, strengthening institutional cooperation between the two entities in positioning the River Minho as a leading cross-border tourism destination.
The session took place at the Porto and Northern Portugal Tourism stand and highlighted the joint work that has been carried out in structuring integrated tourism products between the Minho region and Galicia, consolidating a shared strategy for territorial enhancement.
Co-financed at 75% by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), through the Interreg V-A Spain–Portugal (POCTEP) 2021–2027 Programme, Visit Rio Minho Plus is part of a long-term vision to build a joint destination between two historically connected territories, leveraging natural, cultural, and wine and gastronomic resources as strategic development assets.
The presentation was accompanied by a tasting of wines representative of the territory, highlighting Albariño as a symbol of a shared identity and of a productive sector that gains greater scale through cooperation between Portugal and Spain.
According to the President of Porto and Northern Portugal Tourism, Luís Pedro Martins, the project is part of a broader strategic vision to build a joint destination between two neighboring territories:
“This is a very important project because it is part of the strategy of Porto and Northern Portugal Tourism to build a joint destination between two territories in two countries that are, in fact, sister nations. We initiated a structuring process with the tourism sector and the Galicia cluster, creating what is the first cluster of a euro-region. Now it is essential to give it scale. Visit Rio Minho Plus strengthens that strategy by promoting the creation of joint tourism products among private stakeholders in both territories and by enabling progress towards joint international promotion, enhancing the assets we share.”
The Director of the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation of the River Minho, José Manuel Vaz Carpinteira, also underlined the strategic significance of the project within the context of cooperation between Portugal and Spain:
“‘One river, two countries, great experiences’ is more than a slogan: it is the expression of a shared culture and of tourism products jointly developed between Portugal and Galicia. The River Minho does not divide — it unites. By positioning it as a common destination, we are transforming this historic bond into a concrete opportunity for economic development and strategic territorial enhancement. The presentation at BTL represents an opportunity to showcase this potential to the market and to internationally affirm the ambition of this cooperation.”
The joint presence at BTL symbolizes the commitment of Porto and Northern Portugal Tourism and the Rio Minho EGTC to consolidating an effective model of cooperation between Portugal and Spain, promoting shared governance and creating the conditions for public and private stakeholders to develop integrated tourism products with international reach.