The Estoril Hospitality and Tourism School hosted the event for the 2024/2025 national edition of the GERAt – Territory, Talent and Tourism project, an initiative promoted by Turismo de Portugal in partnership with the Directorate-General of Education. This project aims to raise awareness among young people about the role of tourism in sustainable development and the enhancement of territories and, in this edition, it expanded its target audience to secondary education, reinforcing its impact on the school community.
With a total of 65 schools involved and over 1,300 students participating in 12 regional stages, the national event brought together the finalist projects that stood out for their innovative character, connection to the territory and commitment to sustainability.
The winning project, titled “Portiranja", was developed by a Year 8 class at the Júdice Fialho School Cluster in Portimão. Inspired by the Algarve's emblematic orange, the project resulted in a sustainable welcome kit with handmade products created by the students, such as sweets, biscuits, soaps and candles. The proposal highlighted the youths' creativity, community involvement and the promotion of environmentally responsible practices.
The second prize was awarded to the project “EcoCorkTour", from the José Régio Basic School (Portalegre), and the third to “Lousã – Cultural Memory Routes", from Lousã Secondary School. Together, the projects presented demonstrated a strong connection to their territories of origin, highlighting the pupils' creative capacity and sense of belonging to their communities.
GERAt is intended as a platform for promoting collaborative learning, intercultural understanding and liaison between school and territory, encouraging young people to understand tourism as a strategic activity for local, national and international development.
The project's finalists were selected by a jury composed of representatives from the tourism industry and education sector, who recognised the high quality and relevance of the entries.
Through GERAt, Turismo de Portugal is stepping up its commitment to empowering new generations, promoting active and conscious citizenship anchored in the values of innovation, inclusion and sustainability.
