CENTER - Central Nacional do Turismo no Espaço Rural

The use of the electronic communications is very important for Solares de Portugal. The bland is promoted in several sites included in the CENTER server – Central Nacional do Turismo no Espaço Rural (Central tourism Information), having exceeded, this week, 3 million visits.

These sites intend to be the principal “gate” for the tourists to visit Solares de Portugal. The aim is offer an easy access to the information and to booking service, in a simple, comfortable and modern way.
During this month, TURIHAB will finish the reformulation of all sites, developing a Directory that allows to cybernauts to have access to all touristic national offer, such as the natural resources, heritage, and to all legislation of Turismo no Espaço Rural (Country Tourism) and the Certification of Solares de Portugal (ERS 3001 TER).
www.center.pt allows online booking and is also possible to buy vouchers, as well as to consult newsletters and up-to-date news. In the server of CENTER they are also included the partnership Europe of the Traditions sites (www.europetraditions.com and www.europetraditions.eu), that present the offer of Turismo de Habitação (Private stylish manor and country houses) of all the Associations of these European countries; and the Fazendas do Brasil (www.fazendasdobrasil.com), the “ bridge between Portugal and Brasil and the Mercosul”. The site www.solaresdeportugal.pt is also being re-formulated, to allow to the cybernauts accede to various information like the price of the accommodation, the best roads to reach the Solares, the maps of the region, photos and detailed plants of the houses, as well as the gastronomy, the history, the craftwork of each region, integrated in the thematic tours, “Living in Solares de Portugal”. The book “Solares de Portugal, The Art of Good Living” will be also presented on this new site.
Since they were created in the ends of 2005, these sites reached this week 3 248 865 visits. Several inquiries were carried out to adapt the offer to tourist’s best wishes. The conclusion was that 50 % of the cybernauts chooses Rural Tourism and prefers independent houses or small apartments next to the principal Houses. Having in consideration the analysis of the votes of the inquiries answered in the different sites, TURIHAB is going to launch the brand Casas no Campo still this year. Shortly, the new site www.casasnocampo.net will be presented, and it show different accommodation offer, integrating Houses classified as Turismo Rural (Rural Tourism), Turismo de Aldeia (Village Tourism), Casas de Campo (Country Houses) and Casas Tipicamente Rurais (Rustic Cottages).