How Porto works its magic for Emirates

For too long, Portugal’s second largest city was overshadowed by the country’s capital Lisbon, but the underrated yet charming coastline city of Porto has surpassed famous holiday spots in terms of tourism and has recently caught the eye of the world’s largest international carrier Emirates

How Porto works its magic for Emirates

Operating four times a week from Dubai, the Emirates’ service provides travellers with flexibility and connectivity when travelling to and from Portugal

Perhaps it makes complete sense that a $6.4bn magical empire was inspired by a Neo-Gothic bookstore in one of Europe’s oldest cities.

Before her fascinating seven book Harry Potter series shot her to superstardom, Scottish author J K Rowling taught English in Portugal’s second largest city Porto, where a spiral wooden staircase in the 1906 Lello Bookstore would inspire one of her novel’s most enthralling elements: the swivelling stairs in the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Stroll through the city and you’ll even spot a group of Potterheads dressed in mystic black robes and pointy hats; that’s because even the Hogwarts’ uniform was influenced by Porto’s university students’ uniforms.

 

But you don’t have to be familiar with J K Rowling’s Harry Potter or even be an avid reader to discover that Porto has its own mystical, charming appeal.

Porto que?

For far too long, Portugal’s second largest city was overshadowed by the country’s financial hub and capital Lisbon. But it all changed in 2018 when the coastline city and its surrounding northern region became the fastest growing tourist destination in Portugal thanks to a 5 percent increase in the number of visitors.


Thierry Aucoc, senior vice president Commercial Operations at Emirates Airline

With Lisbon reaching saturation, visitors turned to the undiscovered, underrated coastline city known for its production of distilled grape spirits in vast cellars stretching along the banks of the Douro River.

To the surprise of many, Porto now has a higher ratio of tourists to residents than famous spots like Barcelona, according to the Institute for Tourism Planning and Development (IPDT), with the city welcoming 1.6 million tourists every year, the equivalent of eight visitors per local.

Subsequently, the influx of tourists led to a dramatic improvement in tourism infrastructure including an increase in four- and five-star hotels. According to the National Statistics Institute (INE), hotels in Porto and the northern region registered a whopping 7.9 million overnight stays in 2018, a five percent increase compared to the year before.

Fly Emirates

It is no wonder the world’s largest international airline Emirates joined the string of carriers flying to the popular destination just a year after Porto’s Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport surpassed 10 million passengers in a single year in 2017.

“Porto in terms of Europe has the biggest growth rate in terms of foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction and in Portugal, Porto and the northern region are growing at a high rate”

We were among the lucky few who were aboard the airline’s first direct flight to the city. The eight hours and 40 minutes journey is operated by a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in a three class cabin configuration, offering eight private suites in First Class, 42 lie flat seats in Business Class and 310 seats in Economy Class Operating four times a week, it is among the latest routes to be added to the airline’s global network which flies to over 150 destinations. This summer, the route saw a strong influx of traffic and is looking particularly promising, Thierry Aucoc tells Arabian Business.

“We usually see peak travel periods inbound to Europe during the summer which coincides with school summer holidays,” according to the senior vice president commercial operations Europe and Russian Federation at Emirates.

“Eid breaks have also been a traditionally busy period where demand for travel from the UAE spikes. We have seen a strong influx of traffic into Porto so far this summer as a result. The inbound and outbound booking levels have been very healthy and the rest of the year is promising,” he says.

While Emirates has no immediate plans for a daily route to Porto, it expects further growth in Portugal where it currently flies twice daily to capital Lisbon, Aucoc tells us.

And though Lisbon has so far attracted a mix of leisure and business travellers, Porto has seen mostly tourism-driven visitors, but Aucoc expects the city to welcome business traffic too thanks to a number of economically promising industries.


Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport is among the three busiest airports in Portugal based on passengers and aircraft operations

“Yes – the customer profile [to Lisbon] is different to that of Porto. Lisbon is a financial, commercial and cultural centre that has continued to attract a healthy mix of leisure and business segments of visitors. Travellers to Porto are mostly tourist driven, however we also expect some business traffic from Porto as well as catchment areas like Galicia. The Porto region is also economically active with several industries based in the region,” he says.

Partners in business

Indeed, Porto is an important trade and industrial hub. According to Ricardo Valente, president of the Tourism Board of Porto, the Emirates flight is “proof of confidence in Porto as a destination for both tourism and business,” and will encourage the GCC to invest in the city and its surrounding area.

“Porto in terms of Europe has the biggest growth rate in terms of foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction and in Portugal, Porto and the northern region are growing at a high rate, with the biggest origin of FDI coming from France, Germany, Turkey, Canada, USA, Japan and Brazil.”

While the Gulf hasn’t invested heavily in the country yet besides a Saudi interest in citizen by investment programs, Valente expects the introduction of direct flights from the likes of GCC airlines like Emirates to boost business between the two regions.

“Frankly from the Gulf countries we have not yet seen an influence of investment but I think this direct flight could open a new way of connecting with each other and knowing each other better so I’m very positive about that.

“Dubai is very important for us as hub to make the connection between China, Taiwan, Australia and Africa. Dubai is a gateway and this connection should be a long term sustainable connection,” he says.

Patricia Carvalho, sales manager at yacht company Feel Douro, says Porto is “very trendy” with Saudi, Lebanese and Egyptian tourists, and she expects more growth from the GCC region.

“Dubai is a gateway and this connection should be a long term sustainable connection”

Speaking to Arabian Business aboard a cruise along the glistening waters of the Douro Valley, she says she has “already seen that increase this season compared to last season”.

The all-female company – apart from one male captain – started in 2012 with two boats and now has six yachts (some as large as 80 feet) and has grown by up to 300 percent in markets like the UK.

“We now have a much bigger offer because demand is heavier now,” Carvalho says. While Porto is abundant with affordable daily cruises, Feel Douro is one of the few companies that offers tailor-made luxury cruises which include catering and personalised service.

But you don’t have to spend too much to enjoy the UNESCO-listed city made up of narrow, cobbled streets adorned with historic Romanesque and Gothic architecture, contrasting multi-coloured houses, modern boutique hotels and a bustling nightlife scene.

The average nightly hotel rate is just €46 ($50.64). A good meal? An average of €8 ($8.81). A cappuccino? €1.3 ($1.43).

If you’re looking for a five-star experience, however, look no further than the Pestana Vintage Porto Hotel which has been classified as a World Heritage UNESCO site.  Located in Praça da Ribeira, it occupies part of a block of 16th, 17th and 18th century building and overlooks the grand double-deck Luiz I Bridge designed by an Eiffel student. Take a walk alongside the boardwalk downstairs or even opt for a shisha in one of the cafes along the river. Because even without its Harry Potter inspiration, it won’t take you long before you realise Porto has its own magic.

Source: arabianbusiness.com