The Algarve had a record year for tourism in 2016, "but there still is room for growth," according to regional tourism boss, Desidério Silva.
There is potential from new markets, such the US, but the fact that TAP does not provide many connections to Faro airport is hindering the arrival of more tourists to the region.
In an interview on Rua FM with Sul Informação, Silva commented that, "TAP is not a friend of the region, as we know. It only has flights into Lisbon and the Lisbon-Faro route, i.e. "as soon as they arrive in Lisbon, we will take them to Faro and, if they are in Faro, and want to go elsewhere, we will take them to Lisbon."
For Desidério Silva, "while there are no more Faro-Lisbon flights or for as long as TAP does not fly from Faro to any European capital, we will always have difficulties. Even so, the American market this year was already our ninth largest market. This means that if there was more capacity and more mobility in relation to flights from the United States to the Algarve, it would help."
TAP does not connect Oporto to Faro. Rui Moreira, mayor of Oporto, also made several observations regarding the ‘abandonment’ of Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport by TAP, and even wrote a book on the subject.
The focus of the Algarve’s tourist board “is to work where we are sure there is a return. Other destinations need more effort so the Algarve tourism board is to mount a roadshow in the United States, in associating with the Alentejo tourist board, based on this demand.”
Regarding the European markets for the Algarve, Desidério Silva says there is still much potential as there are people in Germany who have never heard of the place.
“The Germans who come to the Algarve, compared to the number of German tourists that exist, are a minority. That is why we have the capacity to increase the number of visitors from Germany, as we still have the capacity to increase the number of British people."
