The Brelcome campaign, launched by Turismo de Portugal in Lisbon on March 15, to counteract any negative effects of Brexit, already has been seen by a generously estimated eight million people and has triggered a message from the Scottish parliament.

Turismo de Portugal notes the Scottish message, spotted on twitter, which thanks the Portuguese campaign and says the country will continue with, "open arms, open mind and heart" to welcome Portuguese and European tourists, even after Brexit.

The ferry service between Portimão and Funchal in Madeira will resumed on 8 July, 2019 with a weekly service operational until the end of September.

Ticket prices will be the same as last year for passage on board the Volcan de Tijarafe ferry for the twelve trips and are available from the middle of next week.

The Algarve’s University has submitted a report indicating that the Ombria Resort, seven kilometres north of Loulé, will benefit the State by €153 million.

A University team has published the, 'Economic and Social Impact of the Ombria Resort Development in the Municipality of Loulé' and attributed a value to the Treasury and local Council of the resort’s total tax contribution.

Prisoners have been taking part in cleaning, maintenance and repair work in Olhão.

Under the collaboration between the Prison in Olhão and the local Council, the inmates have been on day release to help out in a variety of maintenance tasks and repairs to equipment.

To mark this year's Combatants Day, April 9th will see the unveiling of a monument in Jardim da Fonte, in Vila do Bispo, at a ceremony presided over by the local mayor, Adelino Soares.

The Council is to honour all the military from the municipality who died in 1918, during the First World War, the overseas Colonial War (in 1962, 1966, 1968 and 1969) and the ten Royal Air Force aviators (nine British and one Australian), who died on March 22, 1943, at Praia do Tonel, in Sagres.

SHARE Algarve, the international conference on Marketing and Innovation that took place in Vilamoura last Tuesday and Wednesday, attracted over 600 delegates who listened and learned from 45 speakers representing nine different nationalities.

The conference dealt with various trends such as: influencers, innovation, e-commerce, social networks, conversion, digital transformation, new technologies in tourism, hotel and for real estate companies.

The Ombudsman has handled a 40% increase, between 2017 and 2018, in complaints about the collection of social security debts and has ordered urgent inspections into misuse of the process at several offices, including the one in Faro.

Between 2016 and 2018, 592 complaints were received from citizens who had been subjected to the dreaded ‘coercive collection’ system.

Despite record write-offs, covered by Portugal’s Resolution Fund and the Treasury, the head of Novo Banco received a 16% increases in his salary in 2018.

António Ramalho’s salary rose to €382,000 last year, according to the annual report and accounts published this Friday.