The year 2023 was the best ever for the tourism sector in Portugal.
According to INE data (National Institute of Statistics) last year, the number of guests exceeded 30 million13.3% more than in the same period in 2022, which helped to make the the sector's revenues reached six billion euros (+20.1% than in 2022).
The pleasant climate and mouth-watering cuisine are undoubtedly two factors that attract many tourists to our country, but the analysis would be unfair if we didn't mention the work that many individuals and companies have done to make Portugal an increasingly captivating country.
The countless rural tourism projects that have sprung up all over the country are a fine example of this.
By combining tradition, gastronomy and breathtaking landscapes, the rural tourism businesses have made a decisive contribution to enhancing local communities and boosting the economic fabric of the interior of the country is already one of its main employers.
How to design a rural tourism project?
If you want to join the thousands of Portuguese who have decided to invest in a rural tourism business but don't know where to start, take note of these critical factors that you should take into account when designing your project:
Offer a unique and genuine tourist experience
Those looking for a rural location do so in order to enjoy an authentic, genuine cultural and human experience.
In this sense, when open your rural tourism business try to innovate with creativitybut always in communion with the cultural traits of the community in which it is located.
Create links with the local community
Any list of tips for rural tourism should always include the need for your business creating links with the local community.
So recruit local workers, choose local suppliers and convince the locals that your project is not only an asset to the region's economy and culture, but that it will also guarantee the preservation of their traditions and way of life.
Offer experiences in line with the type of visitor you want to attract
Always in communion with the region where you are setting up your rural tourism business, try to understand what the tourists value, which activities captivate them the most, how they look for information, how they book and how they pay.
The answers to the last three questions are extremely important, as they will give you all the information you need to create an attractive marketing strategy, decide which communication channels to favour (your own website, marketplaces, etc.) and the payment methods you should make available to customers.
Payment Solutions for Rural Tourism Businesses
At this point in the payment solutionsIt is important to note that the contactlessaccording to latest REDUNIQ Insights reportalready has one weight in Portuguese business turnover of 63% and in transactions of 81%These percentages mean that more and more consumers are choosing to pay with contactless methods (credit/debit cards), digital wallets or MB WAY).
About means of payment for the hospitality sectorREDUNIQ offers both physical solutions, such as the REDUNIQ Smart TPA (an Android payment terminal, which, in addition to a set of integrated apps, allows you to develop apps according to your business needs), the DCC - Currency Conversion (giving customers the choice to pay by card in their home currency) and the Integrated Payment Solution (making the check-in and check-out process faster and more secure, with the possibility of integrating hotel management programmes into the payment terminal).
As for online options, if you choose to have your own business website, the solution is REDUNIQ E-Commerce allows you to receive online payments from Visa and Mastercard customers all over the world, while guaranteeing simple and secure checkout processes.
If you choose to publicise your rural tourism business on social networks or marketplaces (without having a website), know that the solution REDUNIQ Payments offers the possibility of receiving online payments via e-mail, SMS and WhatsApp, by Visa and Mastercard, MB WAY or Multibanco reference.
Identify gaps in the current rural tourism offer in Portugal
Innovation is always an excellent step towards business success and rural tourism is no exception.
So look for identify possible gaps in the Portuguese marketAnalyse your potential competitors and see how you can offer your customers a differentiated experience.
Seek help and register with APTERN
APTERN (Associação Portuguesa de Turismo em Espaços Rurais e Naturais), a non-profit association whose mission is to promote rural and natural tourism, can help you not only with all the steps to open a rural tourism business and the necessary legal obligations, but also with promoting and boosting your business.
How to legalise a rural tourism business?
Once you've created the project and completed the construction or conversion work on the building where your rural tourism business will operate, you'll need to legalise it, but how?
To to obtain a rural tourism licence, you will have to apply for "authorisation to use the space for tourism purposes" by sending a request to the town hall in the area where your business is located. The town hall, in turn, will inform Turismo de Portugal.
It should be noted that The deadline for the decision and issue of the respective licence is 10 working days. from the date of submission of the application.
If there is no need for an inspection, the deadline is reduced to 5 working days.
NoteIf the decision has not been issued within the stipulated time limits, you can inform the town hall, with information to Turismo de Portugal, that you will be opening the establishment to the public.
According to Turismo de Portugal, one of the following documents constitutes a valid opening permit (the licence):
- Permit authorising the use of the development for tourism purposes (only for the entire development);
- Proof that the decision to open to the public has been communicated and that the application for authorisation for tourism purposes has been duly submitted, as well as proof of payment of the fee due by means of a reverse charge.
It should be emphasised that once you have obtained and registered your business in the National Register of Tourist Enterprises (RNET), you have 10 working days to inform Turismo de Portugal that you have a valid title to open the enterprise.
NoteThe registration number must be displayed on all your rural tourism marketing platforms.
