Lusófona Wednesdays: Sustainability in Tourism

On 15 May, Lusófona University hosted another session of the ‘Wednesdays at Lusófona’ lecture series. The aim of these sessions is to provide open lectures, in which experts from the university's various organisational units discuss topics of relevance to the academic community, including non-higher education students, higher education students and civil society. The theme of the session was ‘Slow Tourism and Sustainable Development’, presented by Professor Maria Isabel Andrés Marques, associate professor at ULusófona (Lusófona University Centre - Porto), in the Faculty of Economic, Social and Business Sciences and Director of the Degree in Tourism and Tourism Business Management and the Master's Degree in Management and Innovation in Tourism and Hospitality.

The Professor began the conference by explaining the slow concept in the tourism sector, which can be applied to various other sectors, such as slow food and slow cities. However, the focus of her presentation was slow tourism, which is closely linked to sustainability. She highlighted the importance of the UN's - United Nations Organisation, sustainability pillars, which are gaining increasing recognition from both companies and tourists.

According to the speaker, a growing number of tourists are valuing sustainable practices. She cited the example of the British, who are willing to reduce the number of flights and opt for train journeys for short journeys. This trend is also reflected in tourist accommodation, which is adopting measures such as using local products, offering experiences with local people, implementing solar energy systems and providing bicycles for hire.

He also mentioned various activities associated with slow tourism, such as contemplating nature, collecting mushrooms, visiting vineyards and hiking. He emphasised the importance of ‘slow contemplation’, which consists of spending time enjoying the environment in a calm and unhurried way.

After the theoretical explanation, the open class culminated in a practical activity: a slow tour of Porto. During this visit, participants had the opportunity to calmly contemplate the beauty and culture of the city.

The conference highlighted how ‘slow tourism’ can contribute to more sustainable development and provide a richer and more conscious tourist experience. The future of tourism is undoubtedly slow!

See photos of the event on ULusófona's Facebook page

Photography
Ana Machado

Video
Filipa Silveira