Upstream

UPSTREAM Portugal‘s Mission is to contribute to the Territorial Enhancement through the creation, infrastructure and distribution of thematic tourist products and Nature, Cultural and Sports Tourism events, promoting the enhancement and strengthening of the international tourist attractiveness of the destination Portugal. In pursuing this Mission, we assume as the General Goals of our activity: – Support the identification, creation, recovery, infrastructure and management of differentiating territorial tourism resources and assets; – Design and distribute a wide range of innovative Active Tourism themed products, structured according to the motivations of international consumers for Nature, Cultural, Environmental and Wellness, Creative and Sports activities; – Explore the endogenous potential of the “concentrated diversity” of the territory, especially in Rural and Natural spaces in the country’s inland;

Upstream Portugal promotes the destination of Portugal and the Natural and Cultural Heritage, especially in the inland of the country, in foreign markets, providing services and selling specialized thematic products within the scope of Active, Cultural and Sports Tourism, thus enhancing opportunities for Local and Sustainable Development with global reach. As a Consultant, UPSTREAM PORTUGAL provides specialized services for the Creation, Structuring and Implementation of Tourism Products and Resources, Territorial Marketing and Tourism Communication, centred on the patrimonial assets and the natural and cultural resources of the country, for entities of territorial and tourism management and for the private sector.

It develops its activity as a Tour Operator under the TRY PORTUGAL brand and provides a digital marketplace, www.tryportugal.pt, which integrates the largest offer of experiences and activities operated by a qualified Network of Tourism and Hospitality Partners from all over the country, positioning Portugal as a destination of excellence for Nature, Cultural and Sports Tourism, 365 days a year and in total safety! In a complementary aspect, the production, organization and provision of services for Outdoor Events is the focus of TRY PORTUGAL SPORTS, which differs in the design of solutions for events that contribute to the international promotion of the destination and that enhance Sports Tourism in regions.

Catherine de Freitas

CEO, Communications and PR Manager

With a degree in Graphic Design in Germany, Catherine is Certified Rock Climbing Instructor – UIAA of the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation and has her passions in climbing and mountaineering. Co-founder and CEO of UPSTREAM, manages the tourism offer and ensures compliance with the communication strategy, and national and international public relations, after having developed a long career in Consulting and project management of Design, advertising and communication , in several companies in the industry in Germany, Brazil and Portugal. The attraction of the mountain also took her to the Trails, in which she regularly participates, in addition to collaborating in the organization of “The Crossroads Portugal”.

Paulo Cavaleiro

 

General Manager

Upstream’s “mentor” saw the opportunity and need for this project over the many years he travelled the country intervening in the development, structuring and communication of some of the new “outdoor” sports (Triathlon, MTB) in Portugal. Graduated in Management and Industrial Engineering and Master in Environmental Engineering, he was a manager and entrepreneur in the sectors of logistics and services, in Portugal and Spain, as well as a consultant and project manager for Portuguese companies abroad. His personal mission is to contribute to the Local Development of the country’s inland through Active and Sustainable Tourism. Within Upstream, in addition to general management, he is dedicated to the creation and structuring of TRY Portugal’s tourism products and events, manages tourism and territorial marketing projects, and is also responsible for creating tourist editorial content for the most diverse channels of communication.

Álvaro Costa

CFO

Álvaro left futsal to dedicate himself to Management, and from an artisanal ice cream company he came to UPSTREAM to try to structure the back-office. Rigor and organization are qualities well known to him, which are “tempered” with moderate doses of training in the gym …

Sérgio Mendes

Systems and Technologies Manager

Sérgio’s curriculum has many unintelligible pages for the layperson, about training and experience in the areas of information systems and technologies. Despite his professional “weight” and some more that he gained with his seniority, he did not leave his sports skills in the hands of others, continuing to swim kilometres in open water, pedalling at night and taking “hop-on, hop-off” In the new modality of swimrun. Analyst, Manager, Trainer and Consultant in management information systems, he is responsible for the development and integration of TRY PORTUGAL platforms and UPSTREAM systems and technologies.

Tiago Fernandes

Events Manager

Working in the field of physical exercise and sport, in physical preparation for high performance and in physical exercise for well-being since 2013, Tiago has a Degree in Sports Science and a Postgraduate Degree in Strength and Conditioning. Enthusiastic about Functional Training, he embraced Crossfit ™ as a modality of choice, but extends his personal and professional interests to several other sports. He is co-founder of Upstream and responsible for the area of Sports Events (TRY PORTUGAL SPORTS), where he pontificates the X Fittest, of his own creation.

Lia Valido

Project Manager

With a degree in Biology, Lia is passionate about everything related to the Sea and Nature, having worked in the areas of marine biology and aquaculture, but also in entomology and GIS. At UPSTREAM, she deepened her interest in History, Culture and Traditions in Portugal, and is primarily responsible for territorial projects aimed at structuring tourist and cultural products. From time to time she goes swimming to relax…

Milene Emídio

Content and E-Commerce Manager

With a degree in Journalism and PR, Milene came to UPSTREAM in the midst of “digital transformation” with the challenge of structuring, producing and managing the contents of all the company’s digital channels, in addition to coordinating the e-commerce platform TRY PORTUGAL. To the decade-long experience in operational and content management functions in Tour operators, Milene has added the creativity of photography and writing.

Vanda Borges

Travel Consultant

From the Hotel Industry to Tourism Operation, from Guide to organizer of tourist events, Vanda has gone through the entire “value chain” of national Tourism. At UPSTREAM, she has the responsibility to find personalized tourist solutions and ensure the first-line response to the needs of all customers and the connection with our Partners.

Fernando Completo

Consultant

Senior Consultant, coordinates consulting, research, tourism and territorial planning and development projects in Portugal, Mozambique, Angola and Cape Verde. Assistant Professor at the Higher School of Hotel and Tourism in Estoril (ESHTE), since 1993, his teaching and research area is Tourism Planning, Cultural Tourism, Nature and Adventure Tourism, Tourist Animation, Nautical Tourism and Event Management. With a Diploma of Advanced Studies (DEA) – PhD student in Tourism, at the Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning (IGOT), Master in Sociology of the Territory and Degree in Social and Political Sciences, he’s also distinguished for his collaboration with several institutions of international and national higher education. He was also the author and Coordinator of several Strategic Plans for the Development of Resources and Tourism Products in Alentejo and Ribatejo, in the Azores, in Sintra and in Setúbal.

Paulo Leite

Consultant

Sport has always been a fundamental component of Paulo’s life, a passion that has become his lifestyle, work and business. Having lived most of his life abroad, he graduated in Management and Marketing at universities in Brazil and the USA. Enthusiast and practitioner at federated level of judo, volleyball and triathlon, his business involvement with the sports industry began 25 years ago in the USA, and since then his name has always been linked to the organization of major sporting events in Portugal, Spain, Brazil , USA, Argentina, Italy and Morocco, designed from the perspective of tourist promotion of destinations. Director of the Blueorange Agency, CEO of SportsTalks and TRITON World Series, he also takes over the Presidency of the LOFF Association, which is dedicated to supporting disadvantaged young people through sporting events.

Paulo Almeida Fernandes

Consultant

A tireless traveller on foot through the paths of history, Paulo is dedicated to the study of the High Middle Ages, Romanesque Art, Ways of Santiago, and the history of Lisbon. Excellent storyteller, with a good and contagious sense of humour, he does it with the competence of a Doctorate in Art History, Master in Art, Heritage and Restoration, and a degree in History, Variant of Art History. Since 2016, he has been at Pimenta Palace, where he is the coordinator of the Inventory and Investigation Service of the Museum of Lisbon. He is Invited Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences (New University of Lisbon), integrated member of the Center for Studies in Archaeology, Arts and Heritage (University of Coimbra) and collaborator of the Institute of Medieval Studies (New University of Lisbon). He was advisor on two occasions (councillor of Culture of the Lisbon City Council and director of the Portuguese Institute of Architectural Heritage), senior technician in the City Council of Mafra, with Coordination of the Office of Historical and Architectural Heritage and Coordination of the Cultural Area, and scientific advisor of the Cultural and Tourist Valorisation of the Ways of Santiago – Caminho de Torres program. He is a prolific writer, with several published works, namely on the theme of the Ways of Santiago.

Paulo Jorge Margalho

Consultant

Paulo is a journalist, but his multiple facets, skills and experience ended up qualifying him to participate and develop several projects of local and regional development and communication in the areas of tourism in nature, environment, and sustainable development. Founder of CEAI – Centre for Studies of Iberian Avifauna, and GUEA – University Group for Environmental Studies, he was also Coordinator of the Multimedia Resource Center of the Luís de Molina Foundation, Vice President of the Professional Center of the Audiovisual Sector and member of the Board of FAPAS – Protection Fund for Wildlife. Naturalist since 1982, he is profoundly knowledgeable about the territory, developing activities as a bird watcher, nature photographer, author of studies, guides, and content on Nature Tourism, as well as producer and director of films for environmental and tourist promotion.

PARTNERS NETWORK

UPSTREAM develops its operational activity through collaborative processes, establishing partnerships that allow it to leverage and share resources and expand capacity, in order to achieve an integrated and innovative offer of an adequate size to serve the national and global scale. We constitute and support a Network of Tourism Entertainment Partners, specialized Guides and differentiated Hospitality, among others, which add a unique capital of knowledge of the territory, tourist experience and customer service.