On July 1st, ASTO took part in the first meeting of the national network of regional observatories, Destination Watch, promoted by Turismo de Portugal. The event was held at the Lisbon School of Hospitality and Tourism.

The initiative was attended by the President of Turismo de Portugal, Carlos Abade, and representatives from the regional sustainability observatories. The aim of the meeting was to discuss the 2025–2026 action plan and to present the results and goals of the network, with a focus on implementing and operationalizing a process to monitor sustainable tourism in each region of the country. This process is designed to support and enhance the collaborative work between academia, Turismo de Portugal, destination management organizations, businesses, and other relevant entities.

Among the stated objectives are the consolidation of a consistent action plan for the Observatory Network, addressing the needs of destination management entities and the challenges of the INSTO Network; ensuring the necessary conditions for observatories to work sustainably, with a two-year action plan; deepening the monitoring and research on sustainability-related topics; contributing to the development of common research metrics and tools; and fostering international cooperation within the UN Tourism observatory network, the International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO).

This initiative reinforces the importance and potential of sustainability observatories in each region, as they provide in-depth knowledge of tourism’s impact on the territory and allow for more effective destination planning and management. This effort has been recognized as one of Turismo de Portugal's strategic objectives.