The management of the port of Sines and the Algarve has been displaying its wares at Cruise Shipping Miami, specifically to promote the Cruise Terminal of Portimão.
The event took place from 16 to 19 March and brought together more than 900 exhibitors representing 127 countries which have grasped the importance of this tourism sector, unlike Portugal.
Cruise Shipping Miami sees the main agents, operators and decision makers in the sector gather and chat which all provides a good opportunity for staff to promote Portimão as a cruise destination to and from the Mediterranean.
As last year, staff had to skirt over the fact that cruise ships over a certain length cannot dock in Portimão due to a lack of long-overdue dredging work in the Arade channel and at the dockside.
Cruise traffic has increased dramatically in the Algarve where Portimão is the only port that can take cruise ships but the lack of investment in the local infrastructure has hampered growth and cut the Algarve off from many cruising schedules.
A promise of a €10 million investment in the Algarve in the summer of 2013 by the new Minister for the Economy, Pires de Lima, was followed up by the removal of management functions from the Algarve and relocating then in Sines way up the west coast. This did not help the local mood in the Algarve as in return came zero.
Not a cent has yet been spent on the upgrading of the dock and channel at Portimão and with Pires de Lima likely to lose office in the next election it is unlikely that his political promise will come to fruition despite surveys being launched and budgets discussed.
Portimão's council remains in a desperate financial situation and the sooner the port is turned into a first class reception area for tens of thousands of tourists, the sooner mayor Isilda Gomes can start to rebuild the city's shattered finances.
This situation sums up the Portugese disease; promises, talk and no action despite adequate funding available. Nobody seems able to press the ‘go’ button to kick start Portimão’s local economy with a relatively low investment.
The thought of tens of thousands of extra tourists in Portimão seems to frighten rather than inspire when the economic case is obvious. Instead, Portimão is seeking €100 bailout to shore up its finances instead of being enabled to rebuiltd its own future.
The Port of Sines meanwhile has just received a €40 million investment to upgrade its container handling with 150 new jobs created.
