Dark Sky® Alqueva is a realization of my sustainable destination development model, which I’ve been cultivating since my involvement with the Tourism Sustainability Group (TSG) in 2005,” Apolónia explains. “Sustainability is the bedrock of our approach, embedded in our daily operations, supported in the field by our team member Rebecca Slade.”
TSG’s mission was to formulate the Agenda for the Sustainability and Competitiveness of European Tourism, aligning perfectly with my training in Tourism Management and Planning, inspiring a reimagined approach to destination creation and management.
The challenge lies in transcending organizational and competency boundaries, enabling sustainable, long-term planning independent of political cycles. This empowers a destination to be developed cohesively, unencumbered by fragmented decision-making.
While navigating these challenges comes with costs to the destination’s appeal, Dark Sky® Alqueva remains dedicated to its mission. By collaborating with international entities like One Planet Travel with Care and endorsing the Glasgow Declaration, Dark Sky® Alqueva extends its reach beyond boundaries, echoing its core vision.
WORK RECOGNIZED INTERNATIONALLY
It is a great honor for the Dark Sky® Association to see its work recognized in favor of more sustainable destinations and its destination Dark Sky® Alqueva receive the European Nature Destination award. Recognizing that astrotourism is a product that captures the luxury market without changing its inclusive and sustainable basis, since 2015, we have dedicated part of our communication to a market that values the territory, this type of “luxury” that is have access to a protected night sky, and provide more benefits to the destination. And these awards help to recognize this commitment and to value this destination and Portugal in this important market segment.
The Annual World Luxury Awards gala ceremony was hosted by the Trou aux Biches Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa in Mauritius. The awards attracted almost 1000 participants, eagerly awaiting the results which were officially released shortly after the conclusion of the evening’s festivities.
The World Luxury Awards recognize establishments for world-class service excellence. Awards are presented on a country, regional, continent and global basis. Winners are selected by public vote online, providing true recognition that reflects the hard work and dedication exhibited by staff. “The most coveted awards are the global property of the year awards,” says Jana Stoman, Executive Manager of The World Luxury Awards, “many factors play a part in determining these top winners – brand, location and overall guest satisfaction as fed back via online reviews, amongst other criteria.”
“We congratulate this year’s winners. True luxury is not easily attained. It takes highly efficient and dedicated staff who are willing to go the extra mile and stop at nothing to ensure that every guest feels cared for and that no challenge goes unresolved. This is the definition of luxury. It is what makes the winners shine,” says The World Luxury Awards Marketing Director, Michael Hunter-Smith.
