The period of Christmas and New Year's parties was "a lot short" of what was expected in the Algarve hotel industry, which leads the sector to defend the "urgent support" to companies, once again affected by Covid-19.
Ao Sul Informação, João Fernandes, president of the Algarve Tourism Region (RTA), assumed that, at the beginning of December, there was the «expectation» of this being an «already normal party period», but the pandemic has changed sides again.
"We had been recovering, but the truth is that, afterwards, successive restrictions, whether in the issuing markets, whether in travel or supply, caused a retraction in the trend and we did not have a performance close to what we had hoped", he considered.
According to this official, although there were hotels with occupancy “close to 90%”, in others the numbers did not go beyond “30%”.
In the case of D. José Beach Hotel, in Quarteira, Christmas had an occupancy of around 30% and New Year with 50%, numbers below what was expected by João Soares, the director of this hotel unit.
"We had many cancellations, few last minute bookings, essentially due to the change in the rules and the decision of the Intermunicipal Community of the Algarve, taken without talking to the private sector, to cancel any New Year's celebration", he told the Sul Informação.
In João Soares' opinion, it would have been possible to carry out these celebrations "in a safe way", thus helping the hotel industry itself.
According to João Fernandes, «about 40% of the hotels were, as usual, closed, but we didn't have, as has happened, those phenomena of units that only opened for the passage of the year», he added.
The hotel sector is, therefore, experiencing yet another complicated period – despite the improvements compared to 2020. The Hotel Association of Portugal has already warned “of the serious situation that hotels are going through”, foreseeing, “with pessimism, the coming times».
For this entity, the existence of “specific support from the Government” is crucial – “urgent” even.
«After a summer that showed signs of recovery and the hotels are preparing for the start, this turnaround in the pandemic and the restrictive measures announced – in fact, confused, erratic and last-minute –, meant a terrible shake-up in our companies », says Raul Martins, president of AHP.
"Unfortunately", lamented the leader, "public support is essential to overcome the economic consequences of the fifth wave and prepare the future recovery".
João Soares, who, in addition to being the director of the Hotel D. José, is the regional delegate of AHP in the Algarve, also stressed the need for «support to capitalize companies, something that is essential».
«After the announcements made and Banco de Fomento publicized the 150 million euro tourism support line, through which it is intended to support the sustainable recovery of tourism, namely through the reinforcement of the working capital of viable companies and the dynamization of relevant investments for the sector, nothing happened», accuses, in turn, Raul Martins.
In his statements to our newspaper, João Fernandes assumed that "in some lines", as is the case with Apoiar, "there has been no speed" in the arrival of financing to companies", but, in others, this has happened.
For the president of the Tourism Region, there is another important issue related to the pandemic. This Wednesday, there is a meeting of specialists with the Government and, on Thursday, an announcement of measures for the coming weeks is expected.
In hotels, said João Fernandes, it is "fundamental" that there is "stability and clarity" in these same measures, as there is a perspective that, from March onwards, there will be a "more stable return to tourism".
"It is the month that is pointed out as the end of this wave, there is proximity to Easter and we have the expectation that the Algarve will retake not only national demand, but also external demand", he said.
On the part of AHP, there is also the hope of a recovery as soon as possible.
“We are doing everything to survive this storm. There is great uncertainty and the moments we are going through demand availability and implementation of public support as soon as possible. Only then will we be standing up for the recovery, which we hope and hope can happen in the second half of 2022», concludes Raul Martins.
Comments