“Tomar is, in essence, the Templar capital at the national level and also an international reference on this theme, and therefore it makes perfect sense that this is the case and that we host this event here,” the mayor, Tiago Carrão, told Lusa, emphasising that the meeting “marks a moment of work to value the Templar heritage and to develop this joint strategy of culture, tourism and economic development”.

“Tourism Experience and Templar Heritage” is the theme of the meeting that brings together, for two days in Tomar, in the district of Santarém, specialists, public entities and regional partners to define strategies for qualified and sustainable visitation to the Templar territories of the country, combining knowledge, innovation and the involvement of the municipalities and entities that make up the route.

Organised by the Tomar City Council, in partnership with Turismo de Portugal, CIM Médio Tejo and the Regional Tourism Entities of Centro de Portugal, Porto and Norte and Alentejo and Ribatejo, the meeting aims to consolidate cooperation between territories with Templar legacy and strengthen the structuring of this cultural offer.

The program includes thematic panels and project presentations, inviting reflection on the role of Templar heritage in building a differentiated and high-quality tourism offer in Portugal, with the start of the work scheduled for Wednesday at the Dr. Antônio Cartaxo da Fonseca Municipal Library.

Experts

The participants include academics, heritage experts, tourism specialists, representatives from Templar municipalities, and professional associations linked to historical interpretation.

The first panel, “Knowing the Templar Heritage,” focuses on the historical and patrimonial basis that underpins the tourist experience, with presentations by Joana Lencart (University of Porto), Elisabete Gameiro (Convent of Christ), and Emanuel Campos (Municipality of Mogadouro), moderated by Sílvia Ribau (Turismo Centro de Portugal).

This is followed by the panel “Interpretation and Mediation,” focused on itinerary design and the creation of new tourist experiences, with contributions from Carlos Martins (OPIUM), Miguel Marques (Caminhos da História), Jorge Rodrigues (Templar – Rotas e Destinos Turísticos), and Teresa Nicolau (Tesouro d’Almourol).

The afternoon includes the panel “Innovating in the Tourist Experience,” with examples of Tourism 4.0, historical reenactment, and themed gastronomy, and a discussion on the theme “Networking and Engaging Communities,” with presentations of case studies from other national cultural routes and accessibility practices in interpretive centers.

Visits

On Thursday, there will be technical visits to the Convent of Christ, the Tomar Templar Interpretive Center – Levada Complex, Almourol Castle, and the Vila Nova da Barquinha Templar Interpretive Center.

This meeting is part of the protocol signed in 2023 between 16 municipalities, three Regional Tourism Entities, CIM Médio Tejo, and Turismo de Portugal, which aims to structure an articulated and sustainable offer on the Templar heritage in Portugal.

For Tiago Carrão, the event “reinforces Tomar’s responsibility as a reference territory for the Order of the Temple,” highlighting that the municipality “has a duty to lead on this issue and increasingly capitalize on the Templar potential, recognized nationally and internationally.”

“It is no coincidence that the Convent of Christ and our castle are among the most visited monuments in the country,” added the mayor, arguing that the municipality should “know how to take advantage of this Templar capital to attract more visitors to the city, strengthening the link between history, tourism and economic development.”

The mayor concluded that the meeting is “a way to coordinate strategies and strengthen cooperation between Templar territories, affirming Tomar as a cultural, tourist and also economic engine of this national route.”

This national network, which originated in the "Middle Tagus Templar Route" project, now involves the municipalities of Abrantes, Arronches, Castelo Branco, Ferreira do Zêzere, Idanha-a-Nova, Mogadouro, Ourém, Pombal, Reguengos de Monsaraz, Sabugal, Sertã, Soure, Tomar, Torres Novas, Vila Nova da Barquinha and Vila Velha de Ródão.