Ecotourism is the best way to promote nature tourism destinations

The growth of outdoor sports, specifically trail running, has been a significant lever for ecotourism, particularly in the interior of Portugal. As a primary reference, we have Voltas do Impossível, an adventure/race that promotes ecotourism, set in the village of Rio de Frades, in Arouca.

To make Voltas do Impossível possible, the event relies on the collaboration of the Arouca Municipal Council and the Confraria Trotamontes.

Voltas do Impossível distinguishes itself from other trail running races through its historical contextualisation and the unique format in which it unfolds: it is not just a race, it is an adventure. Throughout the entire route, athletes are challenged to return to 1942, a time when wolfram (tungsten) mining was active in the region.

The course consists of 5 laps, each with a distance of approximately 21km and 1,500 metres of elevation gain. The stage for the event is the village of Rio de Frades—the nerve centre of the former mining operations—and the mountains of Serra da Freita. This is a location of excellence for ecotourism, offering everything from hiking, climbing, and running to canyoning and the renowned Paiva Walkways.

On the day of the event, the village welcomes hundreds of people, including athletes, families, nature lovers, trail runners, and the media. In various ways, they experience and showcase the Arouca region as a perfect destination for ecotourism.

Cream initiated the event’s communication process months before it took place, following a strategy defined alongside the organiser and the Arouca Municipal Council. In addition to standard sporting event information—such as registration dates and processes—content about the Arouca region, its natural resources, fauna, flora, and gastronomy is disseminated via social media and the national press.

This approach aims to leverage ecotourism while maintaining a posture of respect and ecological responsibility. We appeal to all attendees to protect the environment, ensuring that all travellers seeking an ecotourism experience can continue to enjoy what Arouca has to offer.

In recent years, the number of people seeking these unique experiences associated with active sport and nature tourism has increased. Consequently, municipalities increasingly view their natural surroundings as an ecological treasure and a valuable asset. Cream’s communication objective was to spark interest in the general population to visit Arouca and Rio de Frades, contributing to active tourism while bringing a return to the region. Together with the Municipality of Arouca, Cream took on the responsibility of putting Rio de Frades on the map.

In the run-up to the event’s 3rd edition, it is clear that the work carried out in previous years will echo in this year’s edition. The communication and press relations strategy resulted in a reach of nearly 11,000 people on Facebook in 2020. This confirms that professional organisation and creative communication, combined with regional promotion, generates significant interest from both national and international audiences.