The Jacobean heritage, tangible and intangible, will be the protagonist of the space that the Portuguese Federation of the Saint James Way (FPCS), will present to the public during the Lisbon Tourism Fair – BTL, between 1 and 5 March, at the International Fair of Lisbon.
For the first time, the Portuguese Federation of the Saint James Way, which brings together 50 Portuguese municipalities and associations through which the Ways of St. James pass, will be presented at BTL, highlighting the cultural experience that walkers can enjoy during the “camino” experience.
Ana Rita Dias, President of the FPCS and Deputy Mayor of Vila Pouca de Aguiar states that “The mission of the Federation is to implement a national strategy for the improvement, dissemination and promotion of these pilgrimage routes. And the pilgrimage routes of Santiago should be recognised for their potential as “tourism products”, as they have a strong capacity to attract people with different motivations, from faith, contact with nature, culture, gastronomy, heritage. The challenge we are launching, and which we highlight, consists of walking the Way of St. James, getting to know the ancestral routes and the rich Jacobean heritage, tasting the Portuguese knowledge and flavours along the routes and living the experience of a lifetime”.
The Jacobean heritage highlighted in the BTL’2023.
Monumental cathedrals, simple chapels of Jacobean devotion, monasteries, legends and stories of pilgrims and breathtaking landscapes will be present in the space, either through their graphic representation in the stand itself and in the promotional materials, or through the animations that, throughout the days, will bring the place to life.
Each Member of the Federation (about fifty Portuguese municipalities along the Pilgrims’ Routes to Santiago, a dozen Pilgrims’ Associations and even a Parish) was invited to bring its most characteristic monument and the intangible traditions associated with the theme, highlighting the Way of St. James as an important Cultural Tourism Product of our country, where the authenticity of the Jacobean hospitality that characterizes us plays a key role.
Moments of live crafts, dramatizations of popular culture, tasting of the typical gastronomy of each route or specialized information for pilgrims, among others, will be part of a program of constant animation in the space of the Portuguese Federation during all the days of the fair.
The Lisbon Tourism Fair is the reference show for the National Tourism industry. The 2022 edition, still marked by the post-pandemic context, registered 45,569 visitors between professionals and the general public and counted with the participation of 1407 exhibitors (direct and indirect), in an exhibition area of 45,000m2 divided into four pavilions. The 2023 edition fully resumes the activities of animation and promotion of the territories, with an agenda full of experiences for those who visit the fair, transforming the fair into a fantastic “journey” to the main tourist attractions of the country and the world.
Visit the Portuguese Federation of the Way of St. James in Hall 2, stand 2A11 (in the upper north part, next to the access to Hall 1).
