The Algarve soon will have a strategy for motorcaravans as the organisations that decide such things are to sign off a protocol on January 21st, 2015.
A press release today informed an expectant public that ‘the Commission for Coordination and Regional Development of the Algarve, the Intermunicipal Community of Algarve, the Algarve Tourism Board and the Algarve Tourism Association will sign a Cooperation Protocol for the implementation of a regional strategy to host motorcaravanning.’
"For many years, this tourist segment has had a strong presence in the Algarve region and with the involvement of these bodies we will have the conditions to move forward with a regional network of spaces for hosting motorcaravans,’ said the CCDR-A news release.
Informal motorcaravanning was until recently the main way such visitors enjoyed themselves in the Algarve, but these authorities see a need for modernisation and the adaptation of motorcaravan campsites exclusively for this trade.
There of course is a decree law, this one from 2008 (1320/2008 17 November) which will 'enable the creation of conditions for the establishment of a regional network of sites to host motorcaravanners.'
The new network will span the region and provide spaces, encourage onward travel across the region, will be promoted within Portugal and abroad, will be compliant with territorial management, and will promote respect for the environment and the safety and comfort of motorcaravanners and the image of the region.
Motorcaravanning groups will be keen to find out what all this waffle means when translated into concrete action as notoriously independent, many will baulk at the insistence that they use authorised parking areas, no doubt with an attendent charge.
In the meantime the winter season sees the Algarve filling up with motorcaravanners mostly parking for free in car parks and other municipal spaces to the annoyance of many locals.
The issue of waste water and sewage is the main concern but the cafes and supermarkets generally are pleased to have the additional winter trade.
Whether organising this highly mobile tourist segment will drive its members to more welcoming climes remains to be seen when the details of this long overdue protocol emerge.
Comments
Also, the motorhome brigade are buying diesel, paying fuel tax and helping he Portugese government repay their huge debt to the CEB !!!
You will sadly always get a section who will abuse but my experience of wild camping in Portugal is that most people are very responsible about where they empty their waste water and toilet K7. They do not want the area they are camping in fouled any more than the local Portuguese people do.
Speeding up the issuing of licenses to those that want to open private aires could help the situation, having to wait a year, as I know one person has had to, for a license to install a sani-dump is a bit ridiculous.
I spend money at the farmers market when I can, and pay into the local economy. I do find the travellers sneaking into car parks and "wild camping" a little annoying, but even they buy fuel in the area thereby contributing tax to the local area!
And don’t think that there will be plenty of lovely spacious campgrounds springing up. There are many hectares of empty land near the beaches here on the west coast. Applications to establish campgrounds are usually refused, for dozens of reasons, by the army of bureaucrats who do that for a living. There are strict and precise rules for campgrounds in Portugal, and they basically dictate that [in the unlikely event that permission can be threaded through the maze] there will be few trees [fire hazard], and the vehicles will be jammed into a small area [the economics of the required installations]. That’s the real situation.
No, those people will not drive thousands of kilometers to be restricted to specified areas when they arrive. They can already get that in France and Spain.
With a decreasing population and a sinking economy, tourism is practically the only business still bring money into the rural areas. We need tourists and visitors, ALL tourists and visitors. If one “barely spends anything” then the next one will spend more.
We foreigners often have some income from outside, but we still rely on the local infrastructure and population to survive. And they need more income than we expat residents generate. My neighbors need tourists.
The reluctance to use campgrounds is not only about the cost; it’s about the feeling of freedom. If you’re in a nice spot, just stay for a few days. That’s a beautiful feeling, and a rare one these days. A feeling so precious, that people are willing to drive all the way to Portugal to find it.
Of course there will be pressures and problems, like when there are too many campers in one area, or there is some nuisance. We have a huge national police force, whose job is called policing. They can handle it.
No matter how many camp sites , or overnight aires , that will be supplied , they wont be used by the majority if they can save the cost!
but a subset of Motor homers , lets call them "modern gypsies" , barely spend anything locally , but still cost the council for the privilege , shunning eating out and local supermarkets for lidl and aldi with a barbeque.
And we arent talking those with 20 year old banger transit vans with curtains here , I have witnessed it from units costing 150k ex trailered car on the back.
Use fines hard for illegal campers , digitally record with connected anpr systems in areas affected the most , impounding repeat offending across the algarve , and return the money gained to councils to upgrade their sites and supply new aires along the A22 for the decent motorhomers to use reducing the cost for them in the process.
They can hang their laundry too, just like everyone else.
But the GNR randomly moves them on, and/or issues stiff fines for parking on our lovely, utter empty cliffs.
I'm sure this new policy will axe our only winter visitors.