In partnership with ATP and the local council, the Tourism Management degree built a direct bridge between talent and leading industry companies.
The first Opportunities Fair, organized by ISMAT’s Bachelor’s Degree in Tourism Management in partnership with the Portimão Tourism Association and the Portimão City Council, took place on April 29. The main objective was to promote tourism as a profession with a future.
The 2026 initiative followed the first edition of the event “Thinking Tourism, Thinking Algarve,” which took place in 2025 and featured an important seminar attended by numerous stakeholders from the Algarve tourism sector.
The event, open to the general public and aimed at all students in the Barlavento Algarve region, served as a bridge between candidates and companies in the tourism sector. Its strategic objectives were: Visibility & Branding, offering a platform for tourism companies to promote their brand, products, and services; Active recruitment, facilitating the identification of new talent, initial contacts, and speed interviews on-site; and Networking, fostering synergies, establishing new relationships, and strengthening partnerships within the region’s tourism ecosystem.
With the IEFP (Institute of Employment and Professional Training) and the Portimão School of Hospitality and Tourism also in attendance at the opening ceremony, the Vice Mayor of Portimão, Sandra Pereira, highlighted the importance of initiatives of this nature, a point reinforced by Miguel Portugal, Director of the Tourism Management program at ISMAT, and by ISMAT Director Rui Loureiro.
The opening ceremony was also attended by Ana Vieira, Director of IEFP-Barlavento, and Ricardo José, representing the ATP management. Visitors had the opportunity to conduct job interviews directly with the companies that were recruiting on-site.
