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Description
This project objective is to develop a nautical tourism innovative product, sustainable, with huge foundation in environment protection and still a high-quality product addressed to everyone but specially the younger customers.This project is already on a stage that was test on the market and it was proof that it has a potential to growth. To develop the project there will be need equipment, human resources and strong marketing.The main action to realize are:Rebuild of website and platforms – with more capacity, more and better information and better user experience.Brand construction, Brand communication, product communication to reach new markets & potential clientsDevelopment & build of and touristic R&D boat, independent of fossil fuels, for Research in new routes, to host workshops and support the operationsManagement and continuous improvement of the nautical tourist productThe project plans to achieve in 2 years the construction of a touristic R&D boat, eco friendly and totally independent of fossil fuels; Awareness of touristic sustainability of around 200.000 persons; 6 new nautical touristic routes; Reach of 2M people with this innovative touristic product; 6 workshops of green good practices.The main beneficents of this project will be:The customers: customers will have the opportunity to benefit of a high quality innovative ecofriendly touristic product, with a price range and conditions totally bellow the current sector and most comparative competitionThe environment: with the good practices awareness that will be provided to other operators, companies and clients. This new offer that will have almost none human foot print.The local traditional economies: will benefit from the flow of guest that will be created with this new product.The Tourism: Will benefit with a quality highly differentiative offer, Hight focus on sustainability of tourism
Summary of project results
The project THE OCEAN WEEK aims to improve the nautical tourism sector, with a innovative offer of services and good environmental protections practices and educations. The Portuguese touristic sector was very old school, protected and with bad environmental practices. This project is absolutely needed to help to spread this new concept of nautical tourism (sailing flotilla), that was inexistent in Portugal, and to open the nautical tourism to new publics as younger people, people with lower budgets, people with no nautical knowledge. This project as also a huge sustainability concern, since all the yachts working, are moved by the energy of the wind, and use solar and wind power to keep the life onboard comfortable. In addition, we are introducing some new materials, environmentally friendly, which we also use to educate our guest about good practices and the small action everybody com do for a better world. We are committed to take people to amazing places, having a breathe taking experience, and contribute to reduce the human footprint all over the coastal areas.
A brand was built and dissemination started, with new contents of this new concept to reach new markets and potential customers. The research and support boat was launched and is sailing in Portugal. In the second year of exploration under the project, there were nautical workshop about good environmental practice and environmental education, and it was a huge success, achieving very positive reviews and happy and environmental friendly guests.
As result, we reached new guests that had the opportunity to visit a part of Portuguese coast for the first time, in a premium affordable experience, in a flotilla mode. Our guests (more than 1500 person since the begging of the project) had the opportunity to experience sailing for the first time, learn the basics of it, learn how important is the wind and the amazing things we can do with it! They also had the opportunity to meet people from all around the world – 45 different nationalities and cultures – They were able to learn the best practices of saving resources as water, and we showed them alternative materials to replace disposable plastic use, such as wheat fiber glasses or bamboo teeth brush.We also carried beach cleaning events were we took from Portuguese’s beaches more than 50 kgs of garbage. All of this with an average of price per week of 650€ from an unforgettable experience, with less than 4 liters of fossil fuel burnt per week, across around 150 nautical miles per week.This project is very import to create an premium nautical touristic offer, that could be accessible to everybody, that does not need to have new infrastructure constructed all along the coast lines to supply demand, and to create a sustainable with a positive footprint product. We expect that many of the tourists that are now using hotels and resorts along the coastline could convert to spend their holidays on a wind-powered yacht enjoying nature without leaving human footprints on it!