Half a million euros in promotional campaign

From next July further, the proposals for tourist animation in the West Region - Portugal (Silver Coast of Portugal included), will emerge to the eyes of the Portuguese, especially in Lisbon and Oporto, an investment of "approximately half a million euros that could double by next year, with support from municipalities and private initiative", revealed Bernardo Trindade, secretary of state for tourism, while presenting the programme at the Municipalities Association of the West-AMO headquarters.

"Everything New at the West/The All-New West - a destination to Discover" is the motto of the campaign that will present the Portuguese with 36 events of the twelve counties of the Western Region of Portugal.

Among other changes, in promotional leaflets, is the cake of chocolate in a reference to the Chocolate Festival of Obidos, replacing other traditional sweets of the region, or the four wheel motorcycle next to a horse, the sea with a kite-surfer, golf, Wines and carnival.

Silver Coast - Portugal hosts International Golf Meeting

These days Portugal is a top reference golf destination in Europe. The quality and diversity of their courses (many of them signed by names of world reference), the quality / price ratio, the know-how existing operating, and the climate and safety factors are competitive at the destination. “This is one conclusion of the first International Meeting of Golf, held in Praia d'El Rey Marriott Golf & Beach Resort at Obidos on days 5 and 6 of June.

The event, sponsored by the Tourism Agency of Portugal, also concluded that "it is essential that the supply of golf presents himself as a distinctive and integrated experience" and that for that to happen "are the various dimensions to be taken into account", namely " the landscape of exception, the design of the field as part of that leverage and a landscape of golf unforgettable experience, the icons of the distinctive environment, quality and customization of services available to golfers, quality and variety of supplementary provision, aimed primarily to their associates, knowledge of the market and promoting the destination, cooperation in the organization of supply, the media exposure - of fields (such as areas of unique experiences), the sport (as sport in harmony with nature) and international sport events (demonstrating the quality and reputation of the destination) ".

Moreover, it is intended that there are "increasing the number of Portuguese players," pointing to as "essential to ensure sustainable development of existing supply," so that "the municipalities, the sports structures, the golf courses and administration are required to find the best solutions for boosting domestic demand for golf. "

The chairman of the Portuguese Golf Federation, Manuel Agrellos, recalled that, while there are about 70 million golf players in the world, in Portugal there are only 20 thousand.

The chairman of the agency Tourism of Portugal, Luis Patrao, revealed that the country will have by 2010 a hundred golf courses, making Portugal a qualified destination for golf.

Also present at the meeting, Severiano Ballesteros, who was one of the best players in the world, praised the quality of golf courses in Portugal.

The Spanish ensured that he ended his long and brilliant career in professional golf, not even seeing the possibility of playing in the Senior Tour (for players over 50). He now dedicates himself to family and drawing golf courses.

European tour operators visit the Silver Coast, Portugal

On days 1, 2 and 3, of June, took place a professional visit to the Silver Coast and West region of Portugal, by 20 tour operators from several European countries, particularly Germany, United Kingdom, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Spain.

It was undertaken in cooperation with tour operator in Portugal DMC, one of the largest suppliers of customers for the western region.

At the choice of the DMC, the hotel Marriott Beach d 'El Rey, in Obidos, hosted large part of the event, where he held a workshop between "vendors / suppliers", also extended to companies in the area of Estoril and the Blue Coast.

Were also visited the Westin Hotel Campo Real and its golf course, the Quinta do Sanguinhal, where there was a wine tasting, Obidos and the bar Ibn Errik Rex, where he was sampled the ginja (cherry liquor) of Obidos, the Golden Eagle golf course, the Bom Sucesso golf course design, to open in September, the Laguna de Obidos and Cape Carvoeiro. There was still time for a golf tournament in Praia d'El Rey Golf Resort.

These promotional trips fall into the philosophy of bringing the Silver Coast, West Region to the eyes, ears and stomach of some of the top European tourism operators.

Urban Golf at Silver Coast – Portugal

Next Saturday, the lovers of golf will have another opportunity to test their dexterity in an environment very different from usual, on the Island of Baleal (Peniche, Silver Coast –Portugal).

The Urban Golf is based on traditional golf, but this is practiced in an urban setting and with some adjustments. The players exchanged the fields with a space under construction, a parking lot or a street. Creativity, irreverence, innovation are some of the concepts that make this sport a growing one in Portugal.

The intention to promote this practice is not to achieve the glamour of the sport, but to stimulate interest and promote the considerable increase of practitioners and followers of golf, especially young ones. The goal is also to put together a Portuguese team of excellence in order to promote the first European Cup.

The receipt of all stakeholders to participate in a maximum of 80, is made in the Surf Castle in Baleal, by 14:00, where are all available resources and all the information. The inscription has a cost of 20 euros and entitles the use of bat, all of 12 balls and tees, an entry to the concert of the Festival Flavours of the Sea (DapunkSportif and Blasted Mechanism), merchandising of the Festival, among other offerings.

International Horse Jumping Competition

This Thursday, May 29, 2008 begins the edition of the Vimeiro jumping competition, at the Horse Riding Center of the Golf Mar Hotel (Silver Coast-Portugal).

It is one of the 70 most important competitions of the international circuit, in a universe of 3700 competitions authorized by the International Equestrian Federation, named for the qualification of the Olympic Games of Beijing 2008 and the Championship of Europe 2009

The CSI of four stars and a Prize Money of 165 thousand Euros, the largest awarded so far in the Vimeiro jumping competition, are the big news of this year's edition.

The 2008 season, which has Margarida Pinto Correia and Luis Represas as special guests, includes a total of six competitions - four international, one national and the championship of Portugal - which is held between May 29^th and October 5^th.

The first CSI, the 4 star Vimeiro runs from May 29^th and June 1^st. The capacity of 260 horses is already filled, assuring largest and best-ever participation in the Vimeiro-jumping competitions. In addition to belonging to the Portuguese Equestrian Tour, this contest is qualifying for the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008 and the Championship of Europe in 2009.

This circuit has its first edition in 2008, and it started with the CSIO 5 * of Lisbon, following after Vimeiro for CSI 4 * Ponte de Lima, CSI 4 * of Portimao and ends within a month, with the CSI 4 * of Vilamoura. This dynamic initiative surely puts Portugal as a prime destination of choice for horse riding in the international scene, favouring the Portuguese Tourism.

In this contest are represented 18 countries, among which stand out jocks Caytano Martinez de Irujo (ESP), Robert and Ellen Whitaker (ENG), Francois Mathy Jr. (BEL), Henk Van de Pol and Leon Thijssen (NED), Billu Twomey and Cameron Hanley (IRL), Pedro Andarade (Brazil) and the Portuguese Joao Chuva, Sabino Goncalves and three times national champ Marina Frutuoso de Melo.

One of the attractions of the combined jumps of Vimeiro Contests will be the "Kid Center”. With 700 m², animators and several activities, and teaching for all children who visit the Riding Centre these days.

New property solutions

The Royal Obidos Golf Resort (Silver Coast – Portugal) will be one of the two ventures of the group Ocean in Portugal that will adopt a new solution of fractional ownership, in which it will be possible unlimited use of housing and services associated within the group.

This solution, called Prestige Fractional Ocean, is also available for residential units of Vilamoura Golf Resort & Garden and will be presented in London.

In traditional fractional ownership acquired the property can only be used on specific dates, being unavailable the rest of the year to be leased and explored.

In this alternative to each "villa" are associated eight owners, who may use unlimited, more flexible, units of five stars of the group Ocean, and access to concierge service, transfers, a golf club, among others.

This flexible fractional ownership already has been practised since 1992 in the USA, where the group Ocean as part of this solution provides the Little River Golf & Resort (in North Carolina).

In the Portuguese market, the flexible fractional ownership will be available in Vilamoura, from 250 thousand euros per fraction, and in Obidos, from 175 thousand euros per fraction,

The Royal Obidos Golf Resort is a partnership between the MSF and the Ocean Group, has been classified by the Portuguese Agency for Investment with the status of Project of National Interest (PIN).

The venture will have a golf course designed by Severiano Ballesteros and includes a hotel and holiday villages of four and five stars. It is still scheduled to be built with a club-house facilities for leisure, golf academy, tennis club, Spa and Health Club, multipurpose sports area, country club with room for nursery and children's games, cyber cafe, library, restaurant and bar and shopping.

Built on an area of 130 hectares, the Royal Obidos provides for the construction of 620 residential units and 2,252 beds, whose development will be divided into several phases. The planned total investment is 160 million.

1st International Meeting of Golf

The Tourism of Portugal promotes from the 5^th till the 6^th of June, in Obidos (Silver Coast –Portugal), the 1^st International Meeting of Golf - Portugal, a destination of competitive golf. At the meeting will be presented cases of national and international success in the design and management of golf courses and promoting the country as a competitive destination for the practice of the sport.

The meeting is aimed at entrepreneurs, investors, managers and other industry players of the golf course, between public and private entities, and with the attendance of Secretary of State for Tourism, Bernardo Trindade, President of Tourism of Portugal, Luis Patrao, the chairman of the Tourist Region of the West, Antonio Carneiro, President of the Portuguese Golf Federation, Manuel Agrellos, and the Deputy Minister of Environment, Spatial Planning and Regional Development, Maria da Graca Saraiva.

During two days, the Praia d'El Rey Marriott Golf & Beach Resort in Obidos, receives conferences of several personalities of reference of the sport, as Severiano Ballesteros.

The international meeting falls within the National Strategic Plan for Tourism (PENT) that defined golf as one of ten products which will increase the development of domestic tourism.

Golf at the Silver Coast

The detailed plan of the golf course, to be deployed on the land between Alfeizerao and S. Martinho do Porto as well as for a hotel near the picture perfect bay is already being prepared.

With a total of 16 holes, the green is planned for a land classified as agricultural reserve, but its construction is justified because it is "a project of great interest to the region" as guarantees the vice Mayor of Alcobaca, Carlos Bonifacio. Therefore the municipality wants to closely monitor the development detail plan, which responsibility of creation was delegated to the private group promoting the enterprise, through the private buildings council.

More tourists, generating more wealth and more jobs are the major advantages given to projects whose protocol between promoters and the local authority of Alcobaca should be signed soon. Political rivals PS and PSD together make for a majority in favour of an investment whose study of environmental impact, already completed and without any problems reported, still hasn’t convinced the CDU, which also criticizes the over-supply of such equipment.

Silver Coast is slowly becoming a force to reckon with in the golf tourism business.

Wines and golf, Silver Coast goes to Holland

The wine of the Quinta da Cortezia "Vinha Conchas", one of the partners of Golfoeste in the promotion of the golf resorts and wines of the Silver Coast/ West region of Portugal, was very successful in the Golf Fair of Amsterdam that elapsed in Holland between the 14th and 16th of March.

In addition of the wines, the public got to know better about the six golf fields of the Silver Coast/ West region of Portugal (Praia d’El Rey, Campo Real, Golden Eagle, Vimeiro, Botado e Bom Sucesso) and the new resort, the Ballesteros Royal Obidos Golf and SPA.

An article in the foreign press referred that "the golf in Portugal isn’t the Algarve alone anymore, and that the Blue Coast has now a fantastic new zone as well as the Silver Coast/ West region of Portugal and its Golfoeste trademark".

The Silver Coast of Portugal, the best new resorts for quality golf…

Silver Coast to receive Golf mega-tournament

A mega-tournament of golf in the Silver Coast will be one of the events that will be part of a plan of international promotion of the west region with financing of the State, to the resemblance of what was already done in the Algarve.

The guarantee was given by Frederico Costa, administrator of Tourism of Portugal, in a first meeting had with the president of the RTO (West Tourism Region) about this plan. However, it is also predicted the achievement of an international golf meeting to take place in the region in June, with the presence of 20 foreign speakers.

The main goal of this initiative will be to encourage the tourists dislocated to the Silver Coast for certain events to stay longer in the region. "Anybody going to the Opera festival in Obidos can take advantage of the day or two in the region, and go eat a sweated lobster at Peniche and buy some cavacas in Caldas da Rainha, for example", explained Antonio Carneiro.

Luis Garcia (RTO vice-presidente) highlighted the way the Silver Coast region has becoming more and more successful; referring that magazine "Golf Weekly" did an article in its central pages about golf in Portugal, where the Silver Coast/ West region fields were referred.

In the last week of March, GolfeOeste has been participating in a marketing operation for tourism agencies in Germany.

Vimeiro Matchplay 1808 - golf tournament

Golf Tournament scheduled to last eight months
In relation to the commemorations of the 200 years of the Battle of Vimeiro (1808-2008), the golf course of Vimeiro and the town council of Lourinhã are sponsoring the Vimeiro Matchplay 1808 golf tournament, which will have the projected duration of approximately eight months.

The reason behind the choice of this sport has to do with the own spirit of what was the Vimeiro Battle, where there will be a search, through 206 small "battles" (games between opponents), to determine a winner of the tournament, which end is scheduled for the 10th of August of 2008.

Next Saturday and Sunday, 26th and 27th of Janeiro, the first "battles" will be disputed, where the 96 potential opponents are going to initiate a journey that is lead them on to aspire the final victory.

"Such as in war, there are battles that are lost without that fact determining final defeat. That will be the Vimeiro Matchplay 1808 Golf Tournament way, where the loss of a confrontation does not mean the disillusion of not being able to conquer the big final day on the 10th of May", explains a press notice. Each competitor will be allowed to lose one of the games, being given a new opportunity of being able to turn out as the big winner in the end.

The organization has placed online a simple website ( http://www.vimeiromatchplay1808.com/ ) where one can be able to follow, step by step, the development of all that happens concerning this event.

Silver Coast Investments - Obidos Lagoon

This is a brand new development of luxury town houses on the edge of the Obidos Lagoon.

The location of this silver coast development is on the southern side of the Obidos lagoon which also incorporates an 18 hole championship golf courses namely; Praia del Rey. Other golf courses are now under construction in the immediate area:- Bom Successo (completes in late 2009), Royal Obidos &Green Hill two new Oceanico golf courses and a second Praia del Rey 18 hole golf course.

This area has recently been dubbed as the Golden Triangle of the Silver Coast.

This is an excellent investment opportunity for Capital Growth and a good potential for rental income.

Enjoy the SILVER COAST ( OESTE ), Portugal

OESTE The most diversified tourism region of Portugal

Located between the two main cities of Portugal (Lisbon and Oporto), the SILVER COAST (OESTE, Costa de Prata) is indeed, a special place, starting off from Castelo de Paiva, all the way down south to Arruda dos Vinhos, you will be amazed by all the wonders this unique stretch of coastline can pack.

Very well served of motorways and other quality accessibilities, you just can’t miss it. From picturesque fishing towns (Nazaré, Peniche, Ericeira), to the beautiful lagoon of Óbidos that links to stunning the beach of Foz do Arelho, you’ll find it impossible to get bored, as culture meets nature and history embraces modern ways.

The SILVER COAST (Costa de Prata) has a flavour for everyone, as you can visit the worldwide famous shrine of Fátima in the morning, buy local fruit and veggies at the traditional open market of Caldas da Rainha mid day, only to finnish a perfect day with a candlelight dinner at the castle town of Óbidos.

Experience the portuguese food, arquitecture and landscapes

Anyone that has ever been to Portugal, will most certainly rave about the food, specially about all the delicious fish dishes. Sample some Caldeirada at the harbour town of Peniche and understand immediately, not to mention all the other world-class wines you haven’t tried yet, or you thought Porto was the only top wine in Portugal? And while visiting Peniche, don’t forget to try out one the many action sports, as this former island facing the deep blue is pretty much the portuguese capital of nautical sports (surfing; bodyboarding; windsurfing; kitesurfing), and with nearby islands of Berlenga and Farilhões (accessible by regular boat trips), you can always choose to contemplate a spectacular view to a always stunning coastline. For those less fond of the adrenaline rushes, a great game of golf, at one of Europe’s finest golf courses (Praia d’el Rey) will keep you relaxed and unperturbed, as you’ll be in walking distance from the pristine beaches facing the vast Atlantic Ocean.
But don’t be satisfied with how nature blessed this striking piece of Portugal, as Batalha and Alcobaça are home of two of Portugal’s seven wonders, as the ancient monasteries are very worth the visit and only a few kilometres apart.