UAlg Confers an Honorary Doctorate upon Vítor Neto

About the Honouree

Vítor Neto was born in 1943 in Guia, Algarve. He attended primary school in São Bartolomeu de Messines and secondary school in Faro.
For more than fifteen years, he spent his summer holidays in Albufeira, which was already a tourist destination for Portuguese visitors, mainly from the inland areas of the Algarve and Alentejo, who generally stayed in rented houses.

Later, he witnessed the increase in domestic tourists coming from other regions of the country and the growing presence of foreign tourists, particularly British and French visitors.

This was how he gradually became aware of the economic importance of tourism (the growth of accommodation supply, the first hotels, tourism real estate, and the expansion of restaurants and commerce). Without realising it, he experienced his first “course” in tourism.

A new phase in his understanding of tourism began in 1963 when, as a consequence of the 1962 student protests in Lisbon, he was arrested by the political police and forced to leave the Instituto Superior Técnico. He then decided to move to Italy to study Naval Construction Engineering at the University of Genoa.

He would only return to Portugal in 1974, after the 25 April Revolution.

The twelve years he spent in Italy were marked not only by intense political activity aimed at making Italians aware of the repression in Portugal and the Portuguese people’s struggle against dictatorship and the colonial war, but also by exposure to the remarkable tourism industry of one of the world’s most important destinations. It was a well-organised and consistent economic activity, managed primarily by regional authorities and municipalities.

Vítor Neto’s experience in Italy was unique.

The knowledge he acquired there proved invaluable upon his return to Portugal. It effectively became a true “course” in tourism, enabling him to understand how resources could be transformed into an organised tourism offering, the need for a strategic vision for the sector, and the importance of political leadership.

After returning to Portugal in May 1974, and alongside his involvement in the consolidation of democracy, he actively participated in debates on tourism development in the Algarve and across the country through conferences, congresses, and public discussions. He also contributed to tourism journals and, in 2013, published the book Portugal Tourism / Urgent Report.

In 1997, Joaquim Pina Moura, Minister of the Economy in António Guterres’ government, appointed him Secretary of State for Tourism, a position he held for almost five years.

It was an extraordinary journey that allowed him to put into practice a strategic vision for Portuguese tourism by strengthening central structures, prioritising the role of regions and businesses, investing in training, international and domestic promotion, financing tourism activities, and fostering international relations through the UN Tourism (formerly UNWTO), whose Strategic Council he served on until 2008 and whose Panel of Experts he currently remains a member of.

In 2005, President of the Republic Jorge Sampaio awarded him the Order of Prince Henry (Grand Officer Grade).

He served as a Member of the Portuguese Parliament between 2002 and 2005 and as Honorary Consul of Italy in the Algarve between 2007 and 2013.

In 2016, he was awarded the Tourism Merit Medal by the Algarve Tourism Region (RTA), and in 2018 he received the Career Achievement Award from AHRESP (the Portuguese Hospitality and Catering Association).

He was Chairman of the Organising Committee of the BTL – Better Tourism Lisbon Travel Market from 2007 to 2022 and is currently its Honorary President.

Since 1988, Vítor Neto has led Teófilo Fontainhas Neto, the company founded by his father in 1940. He is President of NERA (the Algarve Business Association), a member of the Board of CIP – Portuguese Business Confederation, and Vice-President of AIP – Portuguese Industrial Association.

He is a member of the Advisory Board of the School of Management, Hospitality and Tourism of the University of Algarve and Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Algarve Sustainable Tourism Observatory.

Over the years, Vítor Neto has maintained a close relationship with the University of Algarve. Since 2013, he has been a member of the General Council, serving as its President between 2017 and 2021.

The ceremony will be livestreamed on UAlg’s YouTube channel and Facebook page.

Register to attend the ceremony here. 

 

Programme

15h00

Reception of guests

15h30

Academic procession
Musical performance
Opening address by the Rector
Laudatio delivered by João Albino Silva
Conferment of the Doctoral Insignia
Address by the new Doctor, Vítor Neto
Closing of the ceremony
Musical performance
Academic procession

17h00

Cocktail reception