Approved investment projects – a total of fifteen – cover the themes of Wine Tourism, Nature Tourism and Cycling, involving a total investment of more than 2.3 million euros, for a public financial contribution of 1.7 million euros.
In the context of Wine Tourism, a project was approved by Ervideira, which includes the extension of the wine cellar and the construction of a “Wine Tourism Pavilion”, for wine tasting and marketing, and a Center for Promotion and Dynamization of Alentejo Wines in Évora, promoted by the Alentejo Regional Winegrowing Commission.
Given the growing number of visitors to Herdade da Herdadinha, in Lugar da Vendinha, Évora, Ervideira recognized the need to move forward with the project even before it was approved, and the financing agreement was signed. It was in this new space that the signing of the contracts took place.
Duarte Leal da Costa, general director of Ervideira, said in the ceremony that “the evolution of tourism is growing rapidly, emerging with the need of building everything before the summer. We started with the work on January 28, the goal was to receive tourists in the new facilities on May 1. Although it is still not finished, we will come up with an event tonight for our wine tourism team that has grown every year. At this moment we have eight people and we hope to see this team growing. Last year we received more than 12,000 tourists and we were taking the risk of offering a bad service, because our room was too small for the tourists who visit us. This was the reason why we had to start the project urgently. Of course, this support will go a long way towards making the Ervideira more sustainable, because this had to be done”, he said.
About the second project approved – Center for Promotion and Dynamization of Alentejo Wines – Francisco Mateus, president of the Alentejo Regional Winegrowing Commission said that “our goal will not be to sell wines, but get people to know the history of Alentejo wines, its characteristics and wine tourism products.”
The president of the CVRA (Alentejo Regional Winegrowing Commission) took the opportunity to point out that “this case [Ervideira] is excellent, and there are other excellent cases in the Alentejo, which creates a greater pressure on the need to attract tourists to the Alentejo Wine Route and make them want to leave Évora and go to the places where things happen, because our main focus is to make people, after getting to know a little bit of the history of Alentejo wines, want to go to those places.”
Francisco Mateus did not hide his enthusiasm and added: “We are proud to be here because what you see here is quality, commitment, enthusiasm and a will to grow. It is very gratifying and this support that we are contracting today is, for us, decisive.”
The Secretary of State for Tourism signed financing agreements with the promoters in the presence of António Ceia da Silva, president of Tourism of Alentejo, Carlos Abade, member of the Portuguese Tourism Board and Eduardo Jorge Luciano, city councilor of Évora. Also present at the ceremony were Roberto Grilo, president of CCDR of Alentejo, Nelson Rolo, Oenologist of Ervideira, Manuel Leal da Costa and D. Maria Isabel, the matriarch of the family.
