For the first time ever, Ponte de Lima, along with another nine municipalities of the Alto Minho region are on the list of the 100 best sustainable destinations in the world according to the message published on the website of the Inter-Municipal Community of the Alto Minho (CIM Alto Minho) of the "Top 100 Sustainable Destinations 2018" initiative. The official announcement was made on September 27, on the World Tourism Day at the Global Green Destinations’ Conference in the Netherlands.

According to the same source, this quality seal results from an application submitted last April by CIM Alto Minho to Green Destinations, an institutional network that leads a partnership of 15 international organizations specializing in sustainable tourism and evaluates competing destinations worldwide. The competition's main goal is to "highlight success stories and exchange good practices to make tourism destinations more sustainable, generating benefits for local communities and travellers." The theme chosen for this year's edition was precisely "Tourism to benefit local communities".

According to CIM Alto Minho, the Alto Minho region exhibited a good performance in the 30 key criteria evaluated, related, for example, to the potential of the destination; measures for the protection and conservation of nature and the environment and cultural resources and traditions; air quality; health and social welfare; the promotion of local products and services or the offer of tour operators, reaching a score of 8.7 in 10 possible points, well above the established minimum threshold of 6.7 points.

 In the message of the CIM Alto Minho there is also mention that the Alto Minho, known as a region certified for its natural excellence, has about 30 percent of its territory included in the Natura 2000 Network; it is also the first NUTS III of Continental Portugal of the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism (CETS) to be awarded by the European Federation of National and Natural Parks (EUROPARC Federation).

The video presentation of the territory of the Alto Minho region as one of the 100 best sustainable destinations in the world is available at the following address: http://youtu.be/Zl5TIqrR1xE.