The Algarve's golf courses are back in activity since the beginning of May, hoping to attract regular golfers, with the resumption of travel and the gradual opening of borders.
With strict health protocols in place, the region's more than 40 courses want to prove that it's safe to play in what was named Europe's best golf destination in 2020 by British magazine Today's Golfer.
At a time that would correspond to the peak in demand for the sport – the months of March, April and May are the ones that usually concentrate the greatest number of rounds in Algarve golf, in addition to September and October – the Algarve courses reopen in complete safety conditions for practitioners and employees of sports facilities.
This is guaranteed by the fulfillment, by each course, of the guidelines defined in the Portuguese Golf Federation's plan for the reopening of the business.
For the president of Turismo do Algarve, «this is a sign of the effort of the golf industry in the region, and of its resilience, in keeping up with the demanding dynamics that the pandemic situation has created since it was decreed».
"Following the recommendations of the Federation, the National Council of the Golf Industry and the General Directorate of Health, we send the message that it is possible to return to playing with confidence on our courses, which in 2019 accounted for more than one million rounds", added João Fernandes.
But golf is not the only example of the resumption of economic and social activity in the Algarve. Gradually, the region is emerging from the confinement imposed by the pandemic and marinas and companies can already be seen. rent-a-car to work.
This month, 33% of hotel units are also open, rising to 75% in June, according to a survey carried out by Turismo do Algarve.
These are joined by the restaurants, which reopened their doors earlier this week, the campsites, the motorhome service areas and also the markets and fairs, usual centers of attraction in the Algarve for the quality of the products and the typical ritual of the Proximity purchase to local sellers.
“The recovery is naturally slow, not least because we have to comply with a set of rules that allow business to be reactivated responsibly. But with the announced start of the bathing season on 6 June, an important factor due to the obvious impact of the Sun e Mar product in the Algarve, and with the expected restoration of freedom of movement in the Schengen area, there is still hope of some vitality for the Algarve's tourism sector. this year”, concludes the president of Turismo do Algarve.
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