Two of the Algarve’s business associations have warned that despite this year’s buoyant tourism figures bringing a welcome boost to the regional and national economies, care needs to be taken not to get over-excited.
The Association of Hotels and Resorts in the Algarve (AHETA), said the government and the various agencies involved in tourism need to balance tourism with social development in the Algarve, especially when it comes to the physically and visually impaired.
Nera, an Algarve’s business association, wants there to be some serious reflection on the causes of the positive tourism figures this year.
This 'big discussion' should include business leaders, institutions and those social bodies in the region that are involved in the economy and employment.
The hoteliers’ association remind us that this year’s theme is Tourism for All - Promoting Universal Accessibility, and that the industry needs to “rethinking concepts and attitudes about the various parameters that involve the creation of more favorable environments to accommodate the various tourist segments, including those with less mobility since all will benefit from the existence of good accessibility”- a long-winded way of saying more wheelchair access, more Braile signage and information, better beach access for those with poor mobility and all the other recognised ways of encouraging those with disabilities to travel safely and holiday in the region.
Given that "an ageing population is a current phenomenon and a characteristic of contemporary societies,” the association sagely points out that" tourism entrepreneurs are increasingly motivated and aware of these realities, knowing well economic development is not possible without true social cohesion, both of which are essential to economic progress and the development of tourism, companies, regions and countries."
This waffle seems to be an encouragement to the sector's businesses to cater for the elderly tourist market as the association then said the Algarve’s tourism sector is ahead of the game when it comes to encouraging and providing for disabled and ageing customers.
As for Nera, "effort, hard work and intelligence" are needed if the sector is to maintain the current growth in the Algarve as seen in the first eight months of 2016.
"Tourism in the region, which this year has seen a huge boost, requires rigorous analysis of the numbers, types of housing and use.” Nera points out that the national figures are not that helpful when it comes to analysing the Algarve’s particular contribution to tourism turnover and profitability.
Of the good tourism performance this year, Nera says the sector’s businesses should “avoid euphoria because none of it fell from the sky and none of it is safe."
"We all know that tourism - in addition to the improvement of the Algarve’s offer and image - benefited from the crisis in competing destinations. But it would be a serious mistake to think that this situation will stay. They all will try to recover and there are powerful interests behind these countries (governments, major international investors, tour operators, hotel chains, airlines, etc ...)," according to Nera’s president, Vitor Neto.
"If we want to win and keep new customers, we have to know them, understand and convince them. It is not enough to speak of "the best year ever," we need to locate the sources of growth (countries and market segments) and their motivations (products, transport, price levels).
While the business sector warns against complacency, the Algarve’s hoteliers are happy to pay off loans, pay dividends and maintain summer staff levels for a longer season.
