The District Civil Protection Commission of Faro will ask the Government that the minimum services, enacted under the hazardous material drivers' strike, are extended to the Algarve and are not restricted to Lisbon and Porto.
This commission, which brings together security forces and public entities in the region, met this Wednesday, April 17, and will send a statement to the Government with this request later today.
Jorge Botelho, president of AMAL – Algarve Intermunicipal Community, who was present at the meeting, told the Sul Informação that «the minimum services must be extended», not restricted to Lisbon and Porto, «due to the vicissitudes of the Algarve».
“We are a tourist region and the issue should be seen like this. There are many people heading to the Algarve at this time of Easter, including families that have already booked accommodation», he considered.
This issue, the extension of minimum services, is on the agenda and was addressed this morning in the fortnightly debate of the Assembly of the Republic.
Fernando Negrão, parliamentary leader of the PSD, directly questioned Prime Minister António Costa on whether minimum services would be extended to the Algarve, "one of the most touristic regions".
Costa admitted this possibility, saying that the Government "is in contacts to extend the minimum services to other geographic areas".
Heard by Sul Informação, Elidérico Viegas, president of AHETA – Association of Hotels and Touristic Enterprises of the Algarve, confessed to being “very concerned” with the situation.
«Our perspectives would be of a great increase in demand at this time of Easter, namely in the internal market. Faced with the uncertainties, we admit that many people who thought of coming on vacation, give up», he said.
Therefore, the damage to the hotel industry can turn out to be “enormous”. And, without tourists in the hotels, the restaurants and the commerce itself also suffer.
“The strike is for an indefinite period. A quick solution to the problem is not envisioned and this will create problems. I still don't have any reports of cancellations of reservations, but people are very concerned and are waiting with great expectation», he said.
Even for informal and local accommodation, the consequences are dire.
"There are people who have second homes in the Algarve, where a lot of people are, and who, given this situation, consider coming or not for vacation," explained Elidérico Viegas.
As for the issue of minimum services, the president of AHETA revealed to our newspaper that the Secretary of State for Tourism has assured him that they will also cover the Algarve.
Even so, defended the official, the region “demands a different solution”. “We have, in this period, more than 1 million people in the region. We have to guarantee the movement of people», he concluded.
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