Security, bathing season, tourist tax, promotion and events were the topics discussed at the meeting between representatives of all governing bodies of APAL – Associação dePromoção de Albufeira and the mayor of Albufeira, which took place last week.
According to APAL, the purpose of the meeting was to "bring to the municipal executive some of the questions and subjects inventoried with the associates".
APAL, which claims to intend «to establish itself as the voice of businessmen in Albufeira», complementing «its vocation associated with the promotion of the destination», also intends to «start a close and continuous dialogue with the municipality, in order to bring some one of the main concerns of local entrepreneurs».
With about two hundred members, APAL is the largest business association in the municipality of Albufeira and wants to take advantage of this status to become a partner of the municipality in matters that most affect tourism.
Security was one of the topics covered. According to APAL, the creation of the Municipal Security Council will be a reality in the short term, being an important body to monitor the situation in the municipality.
The need to increase the number of staff during the bathing season, video surveillance and reinforcement of beach surveillance were topics addressed in this context.
In this regard, a restricted Municipal Security Council has been scheduled for the first half of June, which will be attended by Secretary of State for Internal Administration Isabel Oneto.
At the meeting, the preparation of the low season was also discussed, namely the end of the year event and other events that could energize the city.
Regarding the Tourist Tax, its form of implementation is being studied, as well as the possibility of creating a monitoring commission for the implementation of the amounts resulting from it.
“We are aware that tourism is the main engine of the local economy and it is essential that there is a permanent dialogue between the municipality and the private sector, so that the best strategies can be developed so that the municipality presents itself more and more. attractive, based on what are the new premises of this industry that highlight factors such as sustainability, identity or authenticity”, said Desidério Silva, current president of APAL.
“It is necessary that the matters we have addressed here can be permanently monitored by local public and private entities so that we can value our territory”, he added.
For the mayor José Carlos Rolo, “the availability of the municipality is permanent, as it is necessary to listen to the different perspectives of those who actively participate in the local economy so that we can plan and intervene more effectively”.
The mayor also noted that “the topics addressed are of great importance and are part of the central concerns of the municipality, as many of them clearly go beyond the tourist aspect and are present in the daily lives of those who live here.”
APAL and the Municipality intend to continue promoting meetings where central themes for the sector can be addressed.
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