Tourism

Portugal was praised in an article earlier this week in The Times newspaper for “giving the rest or Europe a glimpse of what a post-pandemic world might look like”. The article went on to explain how 84% of the population is now double vaccinated with the infection rate having fallen to just 88 people per 100,000 over the previous 14 days. What’s more, Portugal has now agreed, since October 4th,...

Vilamoura Marina has been named ‘International Marina of the Year’ in 2021 by The Yacht Harbour Association (TYHA) and the British Marine Federation. It is the fifth time that the marina has received the award, having been named the world’s top marina between 2015 and 2017 and again in 2019. The title is attributed based on the votes of clients who visit the world’s best ‘5-anchor’ marinas...

After a painfully slow start to the tourist season, the month of August proved that the Algarve is still the destination of choice, for those who were able to travel here at least. Algarve hotel association AHETA reports that occupancy levels across the region averaged 76% in August. This is just 17% below the 2019 figure and a huge increase on last year when August occupancy dropped by more than 60%...

The Algarve promotional video “The Algarve looks good on you” took the Golden Star award for the world's best regional destination video at this year's Golden City Gate awards held as part of ITB Berlin, one of the world’s largest tourism trade fairs which was held (virtually) earlier this month. Congratulations to the producers New Light Pictures and to the Algarve Tourism Authority!...

Spring is well and truly in the air and it appears that at last, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Our prime minister will be announcing Portugal’s roadmap out of the lockdown next Thursday, March 11th and we are all hoping that by early April life will be back to at least the new normal we had learned to live with last year. Our lockdown seems to have worked better than anyone had expected and...