Immersa Global Facilitates Sister City Connection Between Miami Beach, FL and Cascais, Portugal
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Lisbon, Portugal; 02 January, 2020 - On December 19th 2019, the cities of Miami Beach, USA and the Municipality of Cascais, Portugal signed an agreement to officially become Sister Cities. An official Miami Beach delegation traveled to Cascais to participate in a signing ceremony that joined the two cities in a partnership intended to foster friendship, cultural exchange, trade and tourism.
But this global connection may never have been forged had it not been for the skills and local connections of Sheree M. Mitchell, President and Founder of Immersa Global, who voluntarily mediated the process on behalf of both cities.
Immersa Global is the first American-owned and operated boutique tour operator and travel curator in Portugal, specializing in exclusive and unique food, wine, art and culture-based travel experiences.
“The City of Miami Beach asked me to identify a city in Portugal that would be an ideal Sister City fit for them. As someone who’s originally from Miami and now living in Portugal and working in tourism, I was honoured to be given this exciting and important task,” explains Sheree.
She eventually narrowed the search down to Cascais after learning that the cities shared several similarities. Both rely strongly on local service-sector-based economies (especially in tourism) and both have been places of refuge for affluent immigrants. Miami Beach and Cascais are also both known for their world-famous beach towns, luxury real estate markets, strong presence of ethnic and cultural diversity and fresh, local seafood. Interestingly, both cities are also historically important within the Jewish diaspora.
“Through my local contacts in Portugal I was able to request a meeting directly with Mayor Carlos Carreiras of Cascais to see if he was interested in twinning with Miami Beach. He immediately agreed and both cities later approved the process.”
Sheree was invited to work directly with the Cascais executive team on designing a program for the Sister City Signing Ceremony. After the two full days of “twinning” ceremonies and activities, the Miami Beach visitors then embarked on a six-day highly curated program where they experienced the créme de la créme of Portuguese food, wine, culture and scenery, including an exclusive five-course lunch with Chef Pedro Mendes of Narcissus Fernadesii in Vila Viçosa as well a private VIP visit and fully-commented wine tasting at Herdade das Servas in Estremoz led by owner Luis Serrano Mira.
“It was such a special honor to be given the opportunity to link my U.S. home with my new home in Portugal,” says Sheree, “The two cities have so much in common culturally that it felt like a natural fit. I’d like to specifically thank Paulo Salvador of TVI for suggesting Cascais and for connecting me directly with Mayor Carreiras. I’d also like to thank Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber, Commissioner Michael Góngora, and CEO of Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce, Jerry Libbin. It was such a pleasure to share Portugal with them and I’m now excited to see what will become of this new partnership.”
The Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce Delegation with Cascais Mayor Carlos Carreiras in Cascais City Hall.
Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce Visit to Portugal. December 19-27, 2019. (Curated by Immersa Global)
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