The Portuguese Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies (APAVT) states that trips for the end of the year are maintained, in successful operations, unlike Christmas, whose cancellations took place after the announcement of the new measures.
Speaking to Lusa, the president of APAVT, Pedro Costa Ferreira, said that tourist trips abroad in these last days of the year, for example, to Cape Verde, Disneyland Paris, Maldives and Dubai, "are a success", as well as in Portugal to Madeira or the Azores.
"The operation is, of course, less than 2019, but it is greater than 2020, it is consolidated and has not been shaken by these latest developments" of further containment due to the covid-19 pandemic, he added.
But Pedro Costa Ferreira divides the tourist operation “into three big parts”.
“One (of them) that was already in chaos, that was already sacrificed, that had been destroyed, is the entry of foreigners into Portugal. From the moment the Government shakes one of the flags of its European Presidency, which is the Digital Vaccination Certificate, and requires the carrying out of tests (from testing to covid-19), there is a generalized cancellation of the international markets for Portugal" , began by explaining the person in charge.
Then, there is a second area, he distinguishes, which is that of domestic tourism, which "was resisting" and which "ended up being devastated by the speech" of the Prime Minister, António Costa, after the extraordinary Council of Ministers on Tuesday to approve the update of new measures to prevent and fight the pandemic, given the growth of the Ómicron variant.
“The cancellations were immediate as soon as the prime minister finished announcing the measures. I spoke with travel agents, hoteliers, restaurants, and cancellations started that day at night. Therefore, a subsector, which was resisting in terms of Christmas and the end of the year, which was internal tourism, I have many doubts that it will be able to withstand it”, regrets Pedro Costa Ferreira.
The domestic market has been the main driver of the tourism sector in Portugal since there was a more generalized opening of economic activities, namely in the summer.
The president of APAVT criticizes that legislation has been made, “knowing that civil society is unable to respond”, namely given the lack of testing capacity.
“It's very nice to say that free trials go from four to six when you can't do any because there's no schedule, no time or money”, he exemplified.
Only on Thursday, the Government informed that self-tests can be carried out to access activities or establishments for which a negative covid-19 test is required, provided that they are carried out on site under supervision, until January 02nd.
Pedro Costa Ferreira then lists in third place an area that has to do with Portuguese tourists abroad and that “remains resistant”.
“Cancellations remain materially irrelevant and the commercial operation is definitely a success”, giving as an example the mentioned destinations.
“What makes us think? A country that is a model, in quotes, in attacking covid, and - after international tourists who are afraid to enter here - we have national tourists who cancel trips in their own country and national tourists who are still comfortable going abroad , for different countries, at different stages of development, there is only one reason: it is that in these countries travel restrictions have not changed day after day. They are clarified, they are solidified, they do not change in the short term, and that makes all the difference”, he reinforced.
The new measures to contain the invite-19 pandemic came into effect at 00:00 today, given the threat of the new Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which could be responsible for about 90% of infections at the end of the year. year, and will be valid until January 09th.
Among the various measures, the clubs and bars with dance space will close again, after reopening in October after 18 months closed. Since 00:00 today, a negative test is mandatory for access to hotels and local accommodation establishments, as well as for business events and family parties, such as weddings or baptisms.
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