The inclusion of Portugal on the UK safe destinations list it is the «best news of the year for hoteliers in the Algarve» and gives «very positive prospects» for the remainder of the year.
João Soares, regional delegate of the Hotel Association of Portugal, speaking to the Sul Informação, believes that the inclusion of Portugal in this list, which exempts travelers from quarantine on their return to the United Kingdom “gives us hope for the months of October and November, mainly, but also for the month of September”.
For the hotelier, «this is the best news of 2020» for the sector, as «there were some hotels that were thinking of closing in September, this gives us a balloon of oxygen».
João Soares hopes that «the British market will react well» and emphasizes that «there is still a bathing season to be taken advantage of. The British want to take a holiday and we believe they will come to the Algarve, a destination with which they have a great connection. We believe that the Algarve Tourism Region will follow this news of a strong promotion campaign in the United Kingdom».
The AHP representative believes that the opening of the air corridor “will give more stability to the tourism sector. There will be fewer redundancies and wages will be maintained", not least because, "last year, in the months of September, October and November, we had more than 50% of customers from the British market. In October, November and December, the percentage rises to around 60%. These are very significant numbers».
Elidérico Viegas, president of the Association of Hotels and Touristic Enterprises of the Algarve, regrets that this "good news is too late", but says that the decision "provides very positive prospects", especially for "golf tour operators, who are just beginning with its activity in September».
The responsible, in statements to the Sul Informação, says he is "somewhat curious to know the impact of British tourists this year, even more so when other competing destinations have travel restrictions."
The presence of the British in the Algarve, according to Elidérico Viegas, assumes greater importance for the regional economy because “they have a higher average expenditure and, therefore, a greater impact”, he concludes.
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