Hoje, the newspaper option tourism premiere a new image. An old custom, for friends and Readers not accustomed to the same graphic design, to mark the entry in a new annual cycle of struggle. Mas, desta feita, There is such a special taste that nobody owns: Let's get in the 20th year of existence. 20 anos! As time goes by. The play, the play, We're about five months older than the company Google and the first newspaper of daily online tourism in Portugal.
Born of a challenge made during one of those (religious) weekly lunches between tourism professionals – which until now treated almost for you the Net -, the Tourism Option (still no official name) would take the first steps on the Internet, one or two months after, mais propriamente no dia 30 April 1998.
It was not something easy or linear, because then the Internet not only still attract a lot of people as well as the companies themselves that the "held" had few skills to more advanced things. I recall that at the time had an Amstrad portable, equipped with a 4 k modem ... a bomb!
But at a glance, the Internet began to take its first steps and practical use in Portugal and in the tourism sector. Nomeadamente, with the travel agencies and hotels.
In the history of Tourism Option shall always be linked names of professionals who marked an era. Unfortunately, Some are gone. Were they, verdadeiramente, those responsible for starting the newspaper. Aliás, Remember me "stung" and supported in such a way that was irreversible the birth of Tourism Option.
The appearance of a "thing" new Tourism, disseminated mouth-to-mouth, to get to your "site" (Word still unknown) It was almost need a link (another dirty word I haven't used at the time) nearly a hundred letters, did not become a national event. How many so they knew or knew that the Internet?
Todavia, that group and a lot of other people linked to the tourism sector believed in the potential of the Net and also in tourism Option, na altura (1998) ripped, Imagine yourself, with two ads (hoje, banner's) -Avis and Hotel Montechoro-and another two or three weeks after (Hotel Mundial).
From then on it was a struggle from day to day, but we're happy and content, because we are the first.
Although it has been on the team that helped birth the newspaper option tourism, I want to pay tribute to those-in alphabetical order – they bought it and helped the project since the beginning your:
Carla Samuel-Keys, Joaquim Oliveira, Joseph Nery, José Nunes, José Veiguinha, Noel Davis and Rodrigo de Albuquerque.
Don't forget also the collaboration, desde o início, Dr. Albuquerque Days, our legal adviser, even the precious help of Luís Serrão, Nuno Angels and Renato Silva, like many others who have identified themselves with this project.
Although the official date of the journal entry option tourism in your 20th year of existence just happen officially next day 30 de abril, We mark today, with this "new look", the start of the celebrations.
Luís de Magalhães
Director
Congratulations Luis. Um abraço,
Claus Days