The Secretary of State for Tourism, Ana Mendes Godinho, admits that the fall in the number of British tourists coming to Portugal is worrying but draws comfort from the work already done to spread the word in other markets.
Ana Mendes Godinho says of the drop in British numbers, "it is a worry because it is one of the main markets," but there already is growth from other nations."
The National Statistics Institute announced that the British market accounted for 23% of the total number of foreigners’ overnight stays in May, a decrease of 9% on top of a drop of 7.4% in the first five months of the year.
Tourism from British visitors to Portugal has been falling for seven consecutive months.
Portugal’s tourist board is targeting the United Kingdom in a campaign to push Madeira and the Algarve as competitive destinations compared to Egypt, Tunisia and Turkey.
Godinho said the special campaign dedicated to these destinations involves communication with travel agents and airlines, while “positioning our destinations for quality and not for the mass market."
The executive president of the Association of Hospitality of Portugal (AHP), Cristina Siza Vieira, admitted that she has been following this market "with particular attention," as the market share represented by the British in the Algarve normally is 28% and in Madeira it is a full 40%.
Vieira says the reason for the fall in numbers is 'Brexit' and the devaluation of the pound, the resurgence of 'sun and sand' competitors and the collapse of airlines such as Monarch, Air Berlin and Niki that removed capacity.
In the survey conducted by AHP, hoteliers expect a significant drop in the number of British visiting Madeira and the Algarve.
On the plus side, the National Institute of Statistics points to a "remarkable growth" of tourists coming from North America, up 18% in May. The Brazilians are helping too with a 10% increase.
Comments
We run a boarding cattery in the UK - many of our customers leave their cats here when they holiday in the Algarve, and they all love it!!
We have noticed that enquiries are down this year - we are still full but turning away less people. The exchange rate is definitely a factor, but so are more general economic woes - people do not have as much money for holidays and are being careful with it due to the risks of Brexit.
Spot on ....
Read about the most famous beach on this planet, closed to tourists, because of numbers,
Maya Beach on Koh Phi Phi island, also the same in Boracay, the Philippines, single tourists spend more than hoards of group tourists. So there. Go Croatia, oh, its over, what will i do for 4 years ?
So what must have incensed whoever called the Albufereira Police? The British effectively occupying(!) one or even two tables and having a sing song in 'our country - have they forgotten what 1890 was about'?
The 1960's film Zulu also gives us a strong hint - the Brit soldier saying about the opposition " A good bass, sir, but certainly no tenors". The caller adding reassuringly in their message to the GNR that these British were obviously middle aged, non-military types and well oiled - so give them "the chorus from our anthem". (a code word)