Tourism continues to bring in more than €36 billion, and accounts for roughly 11.8% of Portugal’s GDP, but while this contribution remains remarkable, the economic growth it represents has fallen to its lowest level since the pandemic.
The Algarve Union of Trade Unions (USAL/CGTP-IN) has called a regional day of action for 7 August in Faro, demanding better living and working conditions, and warning of what it describes as a labour market marked by insecurity, low wages, and a rising cost of living.
The Portuguese Maritime Police, along with the Navy, have stepped up surveillance of the country’s maritime border through regular daily patrols by sea and land along the Algarve coast, following the recent migration crisis in Ceuta, Spain.
The calm at Monte Clérigo beach in the Algarve’s Aljezur was broken over the weekend, when a Spanish couple were allegedly caught photographing scantily-clad women and children. Murmurs of indignation among beachgoers quickly turned to anger, with reports indicating that several beachgoers decided to confront the pair.
A report released by Greenpeace Portugal is proposing a moratorium on new tourism projects in areas exposed to erosion or coastal flooding, along with the restoration of dunes, and the planned retreat of buildings and infrastructure in places where the advance of the sea can no longer be sustainably halted. The environment group is adamant that tougher enforcement of planning rules and a halt to construction in high-risk areas of the Algarve’s coast should be high up on the region’s list of priorities.
A 36-year-old woman suspected of threatening staff at a restaurant in Lisbon’s Parque das Nações after allegedly brandishing a pistol during a confrontation in June has been arrested weeks later by the Public Security Police (PSP).
An audit by Portugal’s Health Activities Inspectorate (IGAS) has found that the Algarve Local Health Unit (ULS Algarve), the region’s public hospital entity, is owed €1,234,358 for healthcare provided in 2023 and 2024 to foreign nationals who are not resident in Portugal.
The Judicial Police (PJ), through its Southern Directorate, has detained seven men suspected of belonging to an organised criminal network, based largely in the Algarve, and allegedly involved in acquiring companies through so-called “front men”, with the aim of defrauding businesses and financial institutions.
