The British government’s decision to remove Portugal from the green list of countries considered safe in the region surprised. Mayors are asking to maintain support for Algarve businessmen who have prepared to receive British tourists and who are now in an even more difficult situation.
The Algarve Municipal Society, which represents the region’s 16 mayors, denounces the UK option. According to the Amal organization, “this contradicts the efforts made by European countries to allow the movement of people and contribute to economic recovery.”
Moreover, regardless of the arguments cited, AMAL asserts that “the decision turns out to be a double conviction: on the one hand, it comes soon after the creation of a positive expectation, which has moved the Algarve; and on the other hand, it has a negative impact massive over a region that, due to its heavy dependence on tourism, has already been one of the most punished since the beginning of the pandemic.”
Since the British government announced that Portugal will not be on the list of safe countries to travel, many Britons have canceled their Algarve holidays. This, of course, worries Amal, which asserts that “many businessmen in the region, who rely on increasing foreign clients, have hired more employees.”
For this reason, the mayors appeal to “the government to maintain the support of the Algarve’s businessmen as a way to reduce the impact of any commitments made, as well as to postpone the process of recovery of the regional economy”.
Amal deeply regrets that “the Algarve is no longer an option for many foreigners, but she hopes that the UK’s decision will not spoil the perception of other countries, ensuring that the region is ready to receive tourists safely and very carefully monitoring developments . . . from the pandemic.”
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