Daniel Costa

Background

About Daniel Costa

I am a tourism consultant at IPDT – Instituto de Planeamento e Desenvolvimento do Turismo, specializing in developing strategies for national and international tourism destinations and organizations. My work spans areas such as strategic planning, communication, digital marketing, social media and tourism website management, sustainability certifications, cultural heritage preservation and enhancement, and accessibility promotion. I have had the privilege of contributing to the Tourism Development Strategies for Azores 2030, Albufeira, Arcos de Valdevez, Vila Nova de Gaia, Coruche, and Torres Vedras, playing a key role in defining their long-term visions for sustainable tourism growth. Additionally, I coordinated the creation of the Porto Region and Mondego-Bussaco tourism brands, enhancing their positioning in the market. In the field of sustainability, I am part of the team coordinating the sustainability certification processes for Azores (since 2018), Madeira (since 2021), Melgaço (since 2022), and Guimarães (since 2024), reinforcing their commitment to responsible tourism practices. Azores was the first archipelago in the world to be recognized as a sustainable tourism destination. I was the Technical Coordinator of the two editions of the national project “ALA+T – Qualificar para o Turismo”, carried out in partnership with Turismo de Portugal, involving 230 tourism decision-makers from 108 municipalities. Another key milestone was my technical leadership in the creation of the "Accessible Tourist Itineraries" project, available on visitportugal.com, promoting tourism experiences accessible to all. I also coordinate the technical team preparing the application dossier for the "Barco Moliceiro: Arte da Carpintaria Naval da Região de Aveiro" for inclusion in both the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Beyond consultancy, I am the editor of IPDT's annual tourism trends magazine, where we explore and share insights into the evolving dynamics of the tourism sector. In my personal time, I am passionate about books, sports (especially football and cycling), music, cinema, and, of course, traveling. Let’s connect and share insights on building a more sustainable, inclusive, and innovative tourism industry!