We are a company, from Braga (Northern Portugal) working a different kind of tourism, we work preferably with small groups (couples, families, groups of friends travelling together) and aim to offer unique experiences in the region of Minho, as well as the rest of Portugal with programs designed for people who wish to know their holiday destination in a genuine fashion rather than trudge along the traditional guided tours.
The project was born because Isabel, a 29 year old archaelogist and João, an architect of 30, wanted to show their roots, which are deeply set in the region of Minho. The idea is to show the differences which exist in a common heritage, a place where the strong connection to the land, the art of hospitality, the spirit of folk festivities and a perfect communion between holy and heathen still survive. Among the many features of Minho, the greenness of the landscape is one of the most impressive for foreigners. And here the landscape is green but so are the wine and the soup [references to the Green Wine and Green Broth, the typical wine and soup of northern Portugal].
The fact that the founders have no background in tourism is intended as one of the main strengths of The Tourists’ Affairs, it allows us to make the travellers aware of some details which are not in the guides, such as some forgotten corners of the towns, and that is obviously linked to our special affinity to architectural and archaeological heritage. The cities are not inert and we like to show that dynamism. We don’t wish for people to see only the more touristic side of the region, we want them to have as truthful a trip as possible.
Determined to deliver unique experiences, besides the present tours, we have a strong focus on creating any tailor made experience which may include anything from a donkey trek in Miranda do Douro to a trip in search of the Iberian wolf in Castro Laboreiro or a visit to the Caretos of Podence [both a traditional and ancient Carnival mask used in a cluster of villages in Northeastern Portugal, including but not restricted to Podence]. Anything that creates genuine experiences, preferably unlike those in the mainstream travel guides, your imagination's the limit!!! We're here to fulfill your expectations.
One of the of the first main goals of The Tourists’ Affairs was to design tours based on the Rota dos Vinhos Verdes and take advantage of the existing infrastructure and products. In the last few years enotourism has become more professionalized, in particular the tourism around the Green Wine (Vinho Verde), which was clearly underdeveloped. These days Green Wine is on the upswing and is associated with youth and freshness. We have a tour dedicated to the route of the Alvarinho, showing off the charms of the winemaking landscape of the Alto Minho, going by Valença, Monção and Melgaço.
The Tourists’ Affairs also has cultural programs, as well as nature programs with visits to some of the ex-libris of the Minho such as the National Park of Peneda-Gerês, Ponte de Lima or Viana do Castelo. All the tours can be complemented with food experiences to make sure that everyone gets to know the flavours of Minho.
The tours (with groups of up to 7 people - for larger groups, please contact us, as we will also do it) will be done using a luxury Mercedes Viano with all the extras one should expect from this kind of van: air-con with independent commands for the back seats, leather seats, automatic doors on both sides of the van, pneumatic suspension for a confy ride, dark back windows to guarantee all the privacy, and we also provide free wi-fi aboard and free bottled water.
As mentioned before we are expanding our area of work towards the rest of the country, having already a tour visiting Porto (as you can se in our website - we have a tour visiting Porto), including a beautiful boat cruise around the city, and visits to port Wine cellars; and the Douro Wine region (not yet part of the website offer, but already functioning). We will have other tours in the near future, giving you a wider offer on getting to know Portugal.
We will also like to proudly point that we are currently number 1 on the list of activities in Braga on TripAdvisor, and have recently became a "recommended on TripAdvisor" business, having nothing but good reviews from those who already experienced Minho and Portugal with us...
For any further information, please don't hesitate to contact us, and/or check out our website www.thetouristsaffairs.com, TripAdvisor page, or even follow us on the social network: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Location: Braga
