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Is Portugal losing out on tourism and expat arrivals?
| Published: | 30 Aug at 6 PM |
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In spite of a recent award as the ‘2018 hottest destination’, Portugal may be losing out on tourists and newly-arrived expats.
According to the country’s Secretary of State for Tourism, the US-based award is great news for the country but the Algarve’s important British market is in decline. Minister Joao Fernandes, the region’s new head of tourism affairs, believes a new marketing strategy is what’s needed to stop the rot. He’s pinpointing social networks and the internet as marketing tools to encourage more expat retirees and short-term visitors, saying there’s more room to grow in the use of modern technology. Fernandes states tourism and foreign residence is the new ‘black gold’ of the country and considers it’s more important than oil as a source of revenue.
He believes the decline in the number of Britons heading for Portugal for both long-and short-term stays can be put down to the decline in the value of the pound sterling, arguing that aiming Portugal’s attractions to a wealthier market by stressing quality over cheapness is the way forward. For both groups, the Algarve is losing its pulling power to destinations such as Croatia and Bulgaria. Other contributors to the lack of tourism are this year’s unreliable weather, the World Cup and the Monarch Airlines bankruptcy, as the airline was a favourite with Britons heading for the Algarve and other Portuguese summer hotspots.
The elephant in the room is Brexit, with even long-stay Britons unsure of their rights to remain after March next year and those who’d have chosen Portugal as a retirement haven backing off and changing their plans due to the ongoing uncertainty. Traditionally, Britain has been the number one market for visitors to Portugal as well as a popular place to retire, but former regular visitors as well as long-stayers are concerned about a rapid increase in prices of essentials in local stores as well as tourist hubs. In spite of the decline in British interest, current tourism receipt totals are up from the same period last year, as hotels and restaurants have increased their prices to compensate for the lack of visitors.
According to the country’s Secretary of State for Tourism, the US-based award is great news for the country but the Algarve’s important British market is in decline. Minister Joao Fernandes, the region’s new head of tourism affairs, believes a new marketing strategy is what’s needed to stop the rot. He’s pinpointing social networks and the internet as marketing tools to encourage more expat retirees and short-term visitors, saying there’s more room to grow in the use of modern technology. Fernandes states tourism and foreign residence is the new ‘black gold’ of the country and considers it’s more important than oil as a source of revenue.
He believes the decline in the number of Britons heading for Portugal for both long-and short-term stays can be put down to the decline in the value of the pound sterling, arguing that aiming Portugal’s attractions to a wealthier market by stressing quality over cheapness is the way forward. For both groups, the Algarve is losing its pulling power to destinations such as Croatia and Bulgaria. Other contributors to the lack of tourism are this year’s unreliable weather, the World Cup and the Monarch Airlines bankruptcy, as the airline was a favourite with Britons heading for the Algarve and other Portuguese summer hotspots.
The elephant in the room is Brexit, with even long-stay Britons unsure of their rights to remain after March next year and those who’d have chosen Portugal as a retirement haven backing off and changing their plans due to the ongoing uncertainty. Traditionally, Britain has been the number one market for visitors to Portugal as well as a popular place to retire, but former regular visitors as well as long-stayers are concerned about a rapid increase in prices of essentials in local stores as well as tourist hubs. In spite of the decline in British interest, current tourism receipt totals are up from the same period last year, as hotels and restaurants have increased their prices to compensate for the lack of visitors.
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