Fairbnb.coop and CASA – Centro de Apoio ao Sem Abrigo – have launched a partnership based on a deep sharing of the values of solidarity and social sustainability. With their holiday to Portugal, travellers will now have a positive and regenerative impact, extending the benefits of their visit to the entire local community.

The initiative will particularly benefit the most disadvantaged, those who are part of families at risk or in difficulty, who are homeless because renting a home is simply unaffordable for them.

Travellers who book an accommodation for their Holiday to Portugal on Fairbnb.coop will contribute to the work of CASA’s network of volunteers and extend the impact of their solidarity action in the streets, serving hot meals, 365 days a year.

CASA: concrete help for homeless and poor families in Portugal

The efforts of CASA are carried out by more than 1400 volunteers, spread over 10 Delegations in Portugal and Madeira, supporting more than 4000 users from families at risk and +1100 homeless people. In total, in one year CASA has been able to distribute more than 417,000 meals and 35,000 baskets, all with the support of the volunteers and patrons who provide daily support.

CASA’s main activities that you can support with your holiday to Portugal are:

• Distribution of hot meals to the homeless population;
• Distribution of food baskets to families at risk or in need;
• Distribution of clothing, blankets and sleeping bags;
• Provision of hygiene products and referral to primary health support;
• Psychological assistance;
• Support for social reintegration.

Fair Holiday to Portugal: regenerative tourism put into practice

Residential rentals are economically unaffordable for growing segments of the population, especially young people who would like to start independent living. Even the European Commission is pressing for regulation of short tourist rentals and on 7 November (COM 2022/571/1) proposed making the market more sustainable, with economic benefits extended to local communities, and more transparent, with rules excluding illegal listings.

Fairbnb.coop represents the first practical application of sustainable tourism: each listing must carry the code of the National Tourism Register and half of the profits are allocated to local social initiatives. In Porto, the first active city in Portugal, projects such as the Refood-Foz Do Douro centre, which redistributes food surpluses to poor families, and the Abraço Amigo campaign of the Gasporto organisation, which aims to combat the social isolation of senior citizens, were chosen.

Each local community can propose the projects it considers a priority, as long as they are consistent with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of Agenda 2030. In Europe, more than 60 projects already benefit from platform crowdfunding, ranging from biodiversity protection to circular economy initiatives. In countries such as Canada or Slovenia, and in European cities with serious tourist problems, such as Barcelona and Naples, support goes to foundations that care about the fate of the last of our societies, those who cannot pay a rent and are homeless. The same support will come now from the FAIR holiday to Portugal.

Plan your holiday to Portugal and Madeira and #BeTheChange

Domestic and foreign travellers, tourists in search of cultural and natural attractions… everyone will support CASA, simply by booking an accommodation for their holiday to Portugal on Fairbnb.coop. As with all booking platforms, guests will be charged a 15% commission on the booking. Unlike other platforms, Fairbnb.coop will use half of this to fund CASA activities: thanks to these contributions, it will be possible to increase the action of the volunteers, and therefore the number of users who can benefit from it.

Fairbnb.coop and CASA join forces to respond to one of the greatest challenges of our time: to seek and promote a sustainable impact of tourism, extending its benefits to the entire host community, rather than allowing the added value it brings to end up far away and in the hands of a few. Together we can be drivers of change, even when we go on holiday to Portugal or choose to offer hospitality.