The municipality of Mértola, in the Beja district, is the first in the Alentejo to be recognized as a sustainable tourism destination, which allows strengthening “its notoriety at regional, national and international levels,” announced the municipality.
The Biosphere – Sustainable Destination certificate was delivered to the municipal chamber on Wednesday, during a public session held at the Mértola Biological Station.
The certification of the Alentejo municipality as a sustainable tourism destination resulted from a “coordinated effort” between the municipality, the Regional Tourism Entity (ERT) of Alentejo and Ribatejo, the Biosphere Portugal team and local actors in the tourism sector, the town hall explained in a press release.
In the document sent to the Lusa agency, the municipality stressed that the certification “recognises the commitment of Mértola to a development model for tourism based on environmental, social and economic sustainability” and “aligned with international best practices and with the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda.”
“The distinction now awarded reinforces Mértola’s prominence as a differentiated destination, which values authenticity, local identity, the preservation of natural and cultural heritage and the quality of the tourist experience,” reads the communiqué.
At the same time, and “with the award of the Biosphere certificate, Mértola consolidates itself as a reference destination in sustainable tourism, strengthening its notoriety at regional, national and international levels, and affirming sustainability as a strategic axis for the future of the municipality,” added the municipality.
According to the municipality, “this recognition comes to consolidate Mértola’s trajectory in the panorama of sustainable tourism,” after having already received the distinction ‘Best Tourism Village 2025,’ which reinforces “the town’s projection at national and international levels.”
In addition, the municipality continued, the certification “contributes to the affirmation of the Alentejo destination as a region increasingly committed to responsible and sustainable tourism models.”
During the certificate delivery ceremony, a partnership memorandum was also signed between the ERT, Biosphere Portugal, the Mértola City Council, the Guadiana Valley Employers Association and all of the parish councils of the municipality.
The agreement “reinforces the territorial dimension of the commitment undertaken, involving all local actors – from the parishes to the economic fabric – in a shared vision for a more responsible, sustainable tourism and generating value for the community,” the municipality revealed.
Mértola received the Biosphere – Sustainable Destination certification one day after the village of Porto Covo, in the municipality of Sines (Setúbal), became the first locality in the Alentejo to receive this distinction.
On that occasion, the president of the ERT, José Manuel Santos, told Lusa that the institution’s objective “is to have the Alentejo certified as a Biosphere destination in the next two years.”
The ERT wants “the Alentejo to be a sustainable tourism destination,” he added, arguing that, for that, it is necessary first “to have destinations organized and aligned with the best sustainability practices.”
Biosphere Portugal is the official representative of the international Biosphere Responsible Tourism certification.
