Tourism is one of the strategic pillars of the national economy and one of the bets of the country in the affirmation of its international position and the strengthening of its competitiveness. Among the strategic tourism products in which Portugal has been focusing on, Landscape and Cultural Touring deserve high emphasis, given the favourable conditions that the country shows for its development. Under this context, it matters to qualify, develop and promote the cities, the historic centres and the historical, cultural and landscaping heritage that constitute resources of excellence.

The “Strategic Programme for the World Heritage Portuguese Monasteries”, created by a partnership between the municipalities of Alcobaça, Batalha, Lisbon and Tomar, starts from this strategic context and from the fact that in their urban areas there are four monasteries classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, and develops an integrated strategy of urban rehabilitation, patrimony enhancement, economic and cultural fostering and joint communication and promotion. The study was presented to the Operational Programme for the Centro Region – Mais Centro, on 21 October 2008, under the Notice of Call for Tender of the ” Cities Policy Instrument – Urban Networks for Competitiveness and Innovation” and focuses on the key attributes to competitiveness in terms of urban and cultural tourism, namely: identity of urban spaces; touristic attraction capacity; responsiveness of services; interactivity and visibility near the source markets.