A first for the Algarve Tourism Association as its staff attended the London International Dive Show held in London and reported a good level of interest in the Algarve as a diving destination.
The Algarve Tourism stand had an innovative image, "which explored in a very appealing way the region’s underwater world and its natural features."
The space was filled with graphics and staff handed out information about the Algarve and locations and chatted to divers about points of interest for scuba diving the Algarve.
The show is the premier underwater tourism fair and is considered the largest and most influential trade show in Europe for divers.
This year the London International Dive Show coincided with the London Active Outdoor Show held in the same space which increased the fun for visitors. In-hall features at the 2014 show included a Try-Dive Pool, Rebreather Pool, PhotoZone, New Products Showcase, Scuba Youth Zone, 3D Free-Dive Simulator and themed Travel areas where the Portuguese stand attracted a good level of interest.
The Algarve is rich in dive sites and the list of wrecks includes the Torvore, the Wilhelm Krag and the Nordsoen, three of the four ships that were sunk by the U35 submarine during the First World War.
There also is a B-24 Liberator Bomber that crash landed near Faro, the Empire Warrior, which was sunk by the German Luftwaffe off the coast of Vila Real, both during the Second World War, and the Océan, sunk in Salema during the Battle of Lagos between the English and the French, in 1759.
The Algarve's Ocean Revival project recently saw the deliberate sinking of four ships to be used as dive sites, the Zambeze, the Oliveira e Carmo, the Almeida Carvalho and the Hermenegildo Capelo.
Comments
Having dived at some of the best places around the world though, I am pleased to say that I have done some my best ever dives here, it can be very rewarding, but we do not have the consistency to offer the region as a dive holiday destination.