The president of the Algarve Tourism Region estimates a loss of 320 million euros in the region, in the first half of the year, due to the pandemic.
He interviews me on RTP, João Fernandes admits to being concerned with the survival of companies, especially at the end of the high season.
According to the president of RTA, that talked about the placement of Portugal and, consequently from the Algarve, outside the air corridor, a market that represents one third of foreign tourists who visit the region annually, there is no quick fix to fill this gap.
João Fernandes pointed out that almost half (49%) the arrival of the four and a half million passengers at Faro Airport are from the United Kingdom and, in terms of overnight stays, represent a third (33%) of total overnight stays from the foreign market, with six million overnight stays in classified hotels.
The President of the Algarve Tourism Region considered that the only market that can buffer the British is the national, being also the one that usually has more presence in July and August.
Por isso, argued that it is necessary to reinforce the demand for Portuguese, spanish, German, French, of Irish and Italians, markets that have been explored in diversifying the bet.
João Fernandes recalled that, recentemente, the Algarve launched a campaign for the domestic market, also reflected in the Spanish markets, inglês, alemão, holandês, Irish and French, in a search for other countries that can fill, somehow, the decline of the British.
Algarvian businessmen reveal declines in the activity of companies from different sectors in the order of 70% a 90% and unemployment in the region grew in May more than 200% em relação ao mesmo período de 2019.
