Airbnb recognises accommodation excellence and reinforces Trust (in) Porto

It was the certainty that the city provides "exceptional stays for guests" (with nine out of ten ratings above four stars), together with the importance that Porto has in its operation, that led Airbnb to want to partner with the municipality and thus help the owners of tourist accommodations to not only improve their services, but also to be recognized for the excellence they offer.

For Ricardo Valente, councillor for Tourism and Commerce, "having the support of Airbnb in the promotion of Confiança Porto will allow us to foster the recognition of the excellence of accommodation in the municipality and to meet the needs of the sector, as aspects such as certification become increasingly important among travellers".

The partnership between Porto City Council and Airbnb involves working together for a more sustainable recovery of the sector, promoting "healthy tourism" and supporting "the new travel trends that have emerged with the pandemic".

The commitment includes, among other things, a hotline for "neighbours to report urgent concerns about accommodation or guest behaviour directly to Airbnb", as well as the creation of a pilot programme to distribute noise detectors among accommodation.

As Mónica Casañas, manager of the platform's Marketing Services, says, "We are committed to promoting trust in Airbnb tourist accommodation and we want to be a good partner for cities, namely for Porto, in order to contribute to make sure that safety and sustainability are at the centre of the return of travel and the recovery of the tourism sector".

The Municipal Recognition Programme "Confiança Porto" aims to distinguish the tourist accommodation establishments operating in the municipality that show a set of good practices and initiatives in terms of welcoming, cleanliness, equipment, infrastructure, maintenance, environment and safety, which represent examples of excellence and contribute to strengthen the image of Porto as an international reference.

The first "Confiança Porto" seals were awarded in November last year to Porto Vivo, Home of the Poet, Eurostars Oporto Hotel and to four Ruby Charm Houses (7, 8, 11 and 12). After the first training courses for owners of tourist accommodation, which are intended to help improve service skills, were sold out, two new editions were launched in October.

By the end of 2019, early 2020, Porto had already adopted Airbnb's "Guide to Good Practices and Good Living in Condominiums with Local Accommodation".