The post-lockdown period is starting to show up the tensions between supply and demand in traditional tourist markets. This short article explores how important it is for smaller countries such as Portugal to resist deflationary pressures and the tendency to deep discount. How can a nation so in need of income get its tourists to show solidarity by paying fair price for accommodation? Coronavirus, as...
THE TIMES IN WHICH WE LIVE We live in absolutely unprecedented times. Never has the world known a hidden killer that has kept billions of people indoors, truncated economic activity and sparked such a spike in volunteerism. Any analysis of the effect of the Coronavirus pandemic places Travel and Tourism at the top of the list of sectors of economic activity most likely to be impacted by this latest...
The Tortoise and the Hare: Rambling or racing from Lisbon to the Algarve Portugal has just been voted the winner in the best European destination for American tourists, as voted by readers of 10Best Readers’ Choice and USA Today: www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-european-country. As the country’s capital, many intercontinental flights stop over in the Portuguese capital. While this may be an...
Tourism Drives Revival in Portuguese Economy Portugal’s tourism revenue grew 12.37% in 2014, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INE), reaching €10.4 billion in revenue and contributing more than €7 to Portugal’s balance of trade. The increase represents the third successive year of impressive growth for a sector that represents around 5% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product),...
Viva Culture! Empty streets, closed cafés and restaurants, hotels which give their staff a long winter off, and even beach bars which are disassembled, only to miraculously reappear in the spring, are well-recognised signs of life in a summer tourist destination. Walkers are in their element as they have trails to themselves. Cyclists find that the only traffic are the few locals who also venture...
Art in Algarve Emulates Multicultural Community It’s not quite Miami, or the melting pot that is São Paulo, or Paris with its quartiers, or even London with its myriad Tube stops, many of which represent gateways to miniature international communities. But art in Algarve has its own ‘identity’ influenced by the vast range of nationalities represented in such a small area: Portuguese, German,...
We hear it all the time. Went on holiday but there was nothing to do. Great beaches, plenty of sunshine, but how can we otherwise occupy our time? The other day, I even had to convince a Portuguese person that he was falling into the trap of paying lip service to that ill-gotten, and much maligned, it must be said, reputation which places like the Algarve have earned, for being, dare we say it:...
Remember the 80s, rejoice the senior artists - Billy Ocean! The largest-ever crowd at a Cascais Revival Festival was restless. A rushed performance by the preceding act, who were eager to be off to see England play in the World Cup, had sprinkled the warm night air with tension. Among the assembled audience the anticipation steadily grew as the crew meticulously rolled out, positioned and locked...
Cascais Revival Festival REMEMBERED! The largest-ever crowd at a Cascais Revival Festival was restless. A rushed performance by the preceding act, eager to be off to see England play in the World Cup, had sprinkled the warm night air with tension. Anticipation steadily grew as musicians and vocalists made their way onto a stage tinged with blue light. In seconds a jazzy, soulful instrumental set the scene...
Europe’s Best Kept Secret Europe’s best kept secret. That’s how this part of the world is often described. Why? Because it has Europe’s best beaches, Europe’s best golf courses, one of Europe’s friendliest folk, it’s the chosen retirement destination for over 100,000 resident expatriates, and, added to all that, it’s Europe’s newest tax haven. Several international publications have...