Turismo Industrial de S. João da Madeira was distinguished with the Merit Award from the Society for Historical Archeology, the largest academic group concerned with archeology in the modern world. It is a non-profit educational organization, founded in 1967 and headquartered in the United States of America.

It is dedicated to promoting academic research and the dissemination of knowledge about historical archeology, through the education of the public, constituting itself as a resource for the global exchange of knowledge about historical archeology. Since 1988, the Society for Historical Archeology's Award of Merit has recognized individuals and organizations that have distinguished themselves in the cause of historical archaeology.

The municipal Industrial Tourism program of S. João da Madeira is the first Portuguese project to receive this international distinction. The delivery of the 2023 Merit Award to Industrial Tourism takes place during the International Conference on Historical and Underwater Archaeology, which runs until Saturday at Universidade Nova, in Lisbon.