GUARANTEE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR TOURISM, TRADE AND SERVICES
«Braga is an icon of national tourism»
The Secretary of State for Tourism, Commerce and Services said yesterday, in an interview with Diário do Minho, that «Braga is an icon of national tourism».
«Braga has humanity heritage, it has authenticity, it has history and it has heritage. And this is due to what are the attractions that Braga has in itself, but also to the business sector that has made a very relevant investment in the tourism sector, whether in hotels or restaurants. These are business investments that are very positive», said Nuno Fazenda.
The minister was in Braga yesterday to give a lesson on wisdom in the session included in the Academic Day of the Campus of Braga of the Catholic University of Portugal, where he spoke about the tourism sector in Portugal, its evolution and the direction it intends to implement.
One of the bets, he explained, is on training, both professional and higher, for professionals in this sector of activity. According to him, «Portugal has invested in training in order to have a more qualified tourism», and it is necessary to deepen this commitment so that the country has a more qualified tourism.
«We have a network of professional education schools of relevance in the field of tourism, we have a network of excellent hospitality schools from Turismo de Portugal, and we have higher education institutions that also provide very important training, which includes the UCP», he highlighted.
However, «we have to reinforce the focus on qualifications, including tourism. That is why the Government has launched an agenda for tourism professions, where we want to reinforce the ambition of having more qualified people », he said. According to Nuno Fazenda, around 50% of the people who work in this area have only completed the 1st cycle. Therefore, it is necessary to «add more qualifications» to those who work in tourism.
For Nuno Fazenda, these qualifications also extend to the capacity of entrepreneurs and managers, «namely with regard to the requirements of the digital transition, management and internationalization».
«That's why higher education plays an important role here with regard to training for the tourism business sector», he added.
The Secretary of State also highlighted, as a positive factor for this sector, the increase in income, as a result of the agreement signed between the Government and the social partners, which provides for a salary increase of 5.1 percent. «But it is even more positive to see that many tourism entrepreneurs are paying much more than what is in the agreement. Why? Because they feel the need to attract and retain talent in their companies. And that is very positive», added Nuno Fazenda in the interview granted to Diário do Minho at the end of the formal session at the UCP.
