The government has approved the Algarve Tourist Board’s (RTA) budget for 2016 which will be spent on repeating various successful activities and revamping its website.
"In 2016 the RTA intends to continue to implement actions to develop and enhance the tourism potential of the region, essentially upgrading regional tourism and strengthening the promotion of tourism activities," said Desidério Silva, the RTA’s chief.
The area with the largest budget allocation is promotional activities, with more than €2 million to be spent on participation in trade shows in Portugal and Spain, paying for familiarisation visits for tour operators and foreign press, subsidies for air routes from Barcelona and Madrid to Faro, and roadshows and promotion activities based around the Mediterranean Diet.
"In promotional terms we will be at the Tourism Fair of Lisbon, where we will present our new stand. We will once again go to FITUR, FEHISPOR and Mundo Abreu and will arrange Incentivo Algarve as a way to support and recognise the work of Portuguese and Spanish travel agents,' said Silva, believing that "2016 will be The Year of the Algarve.”
Algarve Nature Week, after the alleged success of the first show in Faro, will have more activities at the event taking place between 13 and 22 of May in Loulé with an emphasis on hiking and cycling.
Another area of development is digital marketing with new apps and a new website in line with a new promotional image of the Algarve brand that will begin to be developed in 2016.
A multimedia communication campaigns, dissemination and promotion of events, marketing and promotion of the Algarve on social networks are some of the digital activities planned.
As part of the 45th year celebrations, the Tourism Awards will be hosted to recognise individuals and entities that have shone in the development and promotion of tourism in the region.
