João Fernandes, president of the Algarve Tourism Region (RTA), classified, this Friday, June 4th, as "politics" the UK decision to remove Portugal from the “green list” of travel, imposing quarantine from Tuesday on those who arrive in British territory.
"It is a decision that the British Government took as a matter of internal policy and not as a matter of risk", said the president of the Tourism Region, stressing that the justification given by the UK authorities "does not use Portugal as a reference" for covid-19 infections and even Malta, "which has an incidence of nine cases per 100.000 population, was left out" of the green list."
João Fernandes acknowledged that the British decision "has a clear impact on the region", as the United Kingdom is the "main market" of tourists to the Algarve, and regretted the "constraints" that the measure causes, "from the start for those who already they are here and have their return scheduled for after Tuesday, which is the day from which this measure takes effect».
“We are already witnessing a concentration of repatriation flights and a cancellation of flights for the later period and hotel reservations as well. We hope that this measure is reviewed as soon as possible, because it is completely unfair», he considered.
João Fernandes also said that the Algarve had «100.000 movements of passengers of British origin during the last two weeks» and that, according to data provided by the Regional Health Administration among British passengers, «there was only a record – and all of them are tested – six cases'.
"Six cases per 100.000 inhabitants is a much lower number than that registered in the United Kingdom itself, not least because the British, before traveling to Portugal, have to do a PCR [test]," he added.
Now, he said, the region must "look forward and continue to bet on other markets that are in good demand in the Algarve, such as the German, French, Spanish, Irish and Dutch markets", which are "recognizing Portugal as a safe destination and the best beach destination in the world, according to the latest recognition from the World Travel Awards».
The representative considers that Portugal can return to the "green list" in the next re-evaluation of the British Government, within about three weeks.
"Even because, being clearly a political decision, because the British Government bet that by June 21 it would conclude its process of deconfinement, it makes sense that this review is favorable to an opening to several countries, including Portugal", he argued.
João Fernandes also left a warning to British tourists who "are now returning in a hurry", noting that they can use the approximately 130 covid-19 testing sites identified in the site, before moving to the airport, to facilitate checks and their departure from the country.
The decision to withdraw Portugal from the “green list” comes just three weeks after the British Government took a decision in the opposite direction, creating positive expectations in the Algarve and national tourism, which have now been frustrated.
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