More than six years after commissioning an €18,500 study into motorhome tourism, Lagos municipal council has yet to introduce regulations governing the sector, local representatives from the Unitary Democratic Coalition (CDU) have claimed.
The CDU is calling on Lagos Town Hall to draw up a municipal by-law to regulate the current chaos of caravanning and motorhome tourism across the municipality, arguing that the absence of clear rules has encouraged illegal parking and the misuse of public and environmentally sensitive areas.
Motorhome tourism has long been a divisive tourism issue in the Algarve, pitting the economic benefits against mounting concerns over environmental damage, littering, and pressure on local communities. Thousands of campervans flock to the region from abroad each year, particularly outside the peak summer season, providing a valuable boost to restaurants, shops and other businesses during the quieter winter months. However, the seemingly increasing number of vehicles parking overnight in beach car parks and residential areas has prompted complaints about illegal camping, waste disposal, traffic congestion, and the degradation of protected coastal landscapes.
Successive Portuguese governments and local authorities have sought to tighten controls on the practice. Enforcement, however, remains inconsistent, especially since the COVID pandemic, prior to which enforcement appeared to be carried out far more broadly. Councils across the Algarve have adopted differing approaches, and whilst some have invested in dedicated service areas, others have faced criticism for failing to introduce clear local regulations, leaving residents frustrated and the industry calling for better infrastructure rather than stricter bans.
In a motion submitted to the Lagos Municipal Assembly, the CDU's independent municipal group argues that the continued growth of this form of tourism makes it essential to establish a regulatory framework capable of balancing this form of tourism with residents' quality of life.
The party says caravanning and motorhome tourism represent an important segment of the local economy but warns that the limited regulation currently in place has led to a proliferation of "wild camping" and unauthorised parking, with negative consequences for the environment, traffic management, and the availability of parking spaces.
The CDU notes that on 18 November 2019 the Lagos municipal council awarded GeoXXI – Consultores de Desenvolvimento Territorial a contract to carry out a diagnostic study into motorhome tourism in the municipality, together with proposals for spatial planning measures and a regulatory framework, following confirmation of the sector's sustained growth.
According to the motion, the contract was worth €18,500 and had a completion deadline of 120 days. However, more than six years later, "no regulations on the matter have been made public", the party says.
In light of the delay, the CDU wants the Municipal Assembly to request information from the council on the findings and implementation of the study, whilst recommending that work begin on drafting a Municipal Regulation for Caravanning and Motorhome Tourism.
Source: Barlavento
