André Jordan, known as the “father of Portuguese tourism”, will name an avenue in Vilamoura. The ceremony takes place on the 9th of June, at 11:30 am.
Until now “Avenida Praia da Falésia,” next to the Lake Resort, will be renamed “Avenida Comendador André Jordan”, in homage from the Algarve, in particular from the municipality of Loulé, to this inseparable figure of national tourism.
André Jordan (Andrzej Franciszek Spitzman Jordan) was born on September 10, 1933, in Lviv, Poland (now a city in Ukraine). He left his country as a child, when the threat of World War II and Nazi persecution became real.
The family, which had lost everything in Poland, had a brief stay in Portugal but it was in Brazil that they settled. There, Jordan began his career, first as a journalist and then in real estate, later passing through other countries, such as Uruguay, Argentina and the United States of America.
He returned to Portugal in 1970 and became known for his large project in the south of the country, Quinta do Lago, recognized today as one of the most famous golf and leisure developments in the world.
Taking inspiration from the country clubs Americans, Quinta do Lago was adapted to the characteristics of the Algarve landscape. The concept was new in Portugal, but Jordan believed in its bright future.
With a career spanning over 50 years, he also created Belas Clube de Campo, a residential community with a golf course, near Lisbon, and carried out one of the revitalization plans in the Vilamoura area, as well as the creation of the Vilamoura Program XXI, also in the Algarve.
He is Doctor Honoris Causa by ISCTE and the University of Algarve. He was Honorary Consul of Brazil in the Algarve for 17 years.
He is a Grand Officer of the Order of Infante D. Henrique and was decorated by the President of the Republic Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa with the Grand Cross of the Order of Commercial Merit. The Brazilian Government designated him Grand Officer of the Order of Rio Branco. He is an honorary citizen of the cities of Rio de Janeiro and New York. and received the Gold Medal from Loulé (1998) and Sintra, as well as from Turismo do Algarve. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II. He received the National Tourism Award – Career category.
In 2014, he was considered one of the 12 most influential personalities in tourism worldwide.
André Jordan participated in the foundation of several important institutions in the areas of business and culture. He is the author of books, the most recent being “Uma Viagem pela Vida”.
For Vítor Aleixo, mayor of Loulé, this is «a fair and well-deserved tribute to a visionary man, who contributed so much to catapult the Algarve as a tourist destination of excellence, making the region a world reference in the sector, and who honored this municipality with his meritorious work".
On this day, the municipality will also award the “Key of Humanism” to the honoree, a symbol of community recognition.
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