Airbnb recognises accommodation excellence and reinforces trust in Porto

More than the reputation of “good hospitality”, it is the guests reviews that have put Porto at the top of the recognition in what concerns good practices in the tourism sector. The Municipality’s strategy to qualify the tourism offer now gains a strong ally, with the international accommodation platform Airbnb joining the Confiança Porto (Trust Porto)programme.

It was the certainty that the city provides “exceptional lodgings for guests” (with nine out of ten ratings above four stars), together with the importance that Porto has in its operation, that led Airbnb to want to partner with the municipality and thus help the owners of touristic accommodation not only to increasingly improve services, but to be recognised for the excellence they offer.

For Ricardo Valente, councillor for Tourism and Commerce, “being able to count on the support of Airbnb in the promotion of Confiança Porto will allow us to foster the recognition of the excellence of accommodation in the municipality and respond to the needs of the sector, as aspects such as certification are becoming increasingly more important among travellers”.

The partnership that unites Porto City Hall and Airbnb assumes working together for a more sustainable recovery of the sector, promoting “healthy tourism” and supporting “the new travel trends that have emerged with the pandemic”.

The commitment includes, among other things, a hotline for “neighbours to report urgent concerns about the accommodation or guest behaviour directly to Airbnb”, as well as the creation of a pilot programme to distribute noise detectors among accommodation.

As Mónica Casañas, the platform’s Marketing Service manager, says, “we are committed to promoting trust in Airbnb tourist accommodation and we want to be a good partner for cities, namely for Porto, in order to contribute to make sure that safety and sustainability are at the centre of the return of travel and the recovery of the tourism sector”.

The Municipal Recognition Programme “Confiança Porto” aims to distinguish local touristic accommodation establishments operating in the municipality that show a set of good practices and initiatives in terms of welcoming, cleanliness, equipment, infrastructures, maintenance, environment, and safety, that represent examples of excellence and contribute towards reinforcing Porto’s image as an international reference.

The first “Confiança Porto” seals were awarded in November last year to Porto Vivo, Home of the Poet, Hotel Eurostars Oporto and the four Ruby Charm Houses (7, 8. 11 and 12). After the first training courses for owners of tourist accommodation, which are intended to help improve the service skills, were sold out, two new editions were launched in October.

By the end of 2019 and early 2020, Porto had already adopted the “o "Guia de Boas Práticas e Boa Convivência em condomínios com Alojamento Local" by Airbnb.