According to José Manuel Santos, the president of ETA Alentejo, the first tourist information centre at Beja Airport will allow "building, managing and strengthening the perception of the 'Alentejo' brand among the tourist community" and, therefore, give visibility to the region and improve hospitality conditions to attract new audiences.

"The space already existed, but it wasn't properly regulated, and now it is. There is a written agreement and a contract that establishes the possibility of its use. And our idea is to 'brand' that space with the 'Alentejo' image [and at the same time] make people feel welcome," the president explained, in statements to Lusa.

The new space, which should become operational "in June 2026," is the result of a partnership between the Alentejo Regional Tourism Entity (ERT) and the Polytechnic Institute of Beja (IPBeja).

"We have a clear idea that the infrastructure will start to be used more by visitors, [that is], passengers who disembark for leisure, whether residential tourism or hunting, and therefore there is this concern to have good service and a hospitality policy," he assured.

According to José Manuel Santos, many of the passengers who disembark in Beja currently "don't know they are in the Alentejo."

The operation of the post will be the responsibility of an IPBeja service team that, in a first phase, will be present on the days of passenger plane arrivals, will receive these visitors and give them a welcome kit.

Improving the brand

According to the president of the Alentejo Regional Tourism Entity (ERT), investing in this team and "updating the image" of the region will give "visibility and notoriety to the destination" and, consequently, allow for greater affirmation and exploitation of the tourism sector and the airport.

To work towards this mission, the project also includes "small actions and initiatives" for training and capacity building for airport professionals – agents of the Public Security Police (PSP) and the Federal Revenue Service.

"We also believe that these employees, who deal with visitors daily, who have a very important role in their functions and who are essential for the operation of the airport, should be sensitised to receive and welcome them well, having a supplementary function," stated José Manuel Santos.

At the same time, "information about the airport" will be added to the VisitAlentejo website of the Alentejo ERT, as it currently does not exist.

According to José Manuel Santos, in 2024, the airport infrastructure recorded 600 executive aviation movements and 30 non-scheduled charter flights.