A UK decision to keep Portugal off the list of safe destinations to travel, known today, “is to be regretted and less and less understandable”, accuses António Pina, president of the Algarve Intermunicipal Community. For hoteliers, this news “is a huge disappointment”.
In statements to the Sul Informação, António Pina reinforced that «it is safer to be in the Algarve than in the United Kingdom» and that, «taking into account the evolution of the pandemic, we all had the hope that it would be reversed».
In recent days, there has been talk in the English press about the possibility of opening an air corridor, whose passengers would be exempt from quarantine, to regions less affected by Covid-19, such as Madeira and the Algarve.
However, the representative of the Algarve municipalities explains that AMAL ends up being away from any decision in this regard. “If there was a regional government, yes we could be involved. That is the importance of a regional government».
For his part, João Soares, delegate of the Portuguese Hotel Association in the Algarve, says that «this news turns out to be even worse than the initial one, because we had the hope that, with the lifting of restrictions, there would be a recovery of reserves of British and we still had good months of September, October and November».
For the hotelier, this decision by the UK «creates an atmosphere of mistrust and insecurity, which was all we didn't need. We did a very well done journey with few cases in the region and we thought that we could now be included in the list of safe countries».
João Soares believes that the lack of Brits «will affect Albufeira a lot. The areas that receive few national tourists will suffer a great impact. Portuguese tourists can even come in August, but after 9 September they stop coming».
Elidério Viegas, president of the Association of Hotels and Tourism Enterprises of the Algarve (AHETA), highlights the “huge disappointment” that caused this news in the hotel sector. "We had expectations that the United Kingdom would include either Portugal, or even just the Algarve in that list."
Even so, believes the president of AHETA, “the main negative effect for tourism arises from the first decision. Whoever wanted to come to the Algarve canceled at that time».
With the maintenance of the quarantine on Portugal's return to the UK, one of the sectors that could have some hope from September onwards is golf. “The golf season starts at the end of September. Reserves for that time could now arise. However, with the restrictions not lifted, the prospects are not so good», concludes Elidérico Viegas.
It's time to help us do the Sul Informação!
Contribute your donation so that we can continue to produce your newspaper!
Click here to support us (Paypal)
Or use our IBAN PT50 0018 0003 38929600020 44
Comments