Algarve Situation report Wednesday 13^th October 2021

World experts debate future of leisure and post-covid tourism in Vilamoura

The 2021 edition of the conference ‘The Resort and Residential Hospitality Forum’ (R&R) dedicated to investment in resorts will take place between 25 and 27 October at the Tivoli Marina Vilamoura Resort, bringing together international specialists in investments in the area of ​​hospitality and leisure.

The R&R, part of the International Hospitality Investment Forum (IHIF), hopes to attract a senior audience of leading investors, developers and operators in the hospitality and leisure sector. This year’s conference theme ‘Leisure Supports the Turnaround’, in addition to focusing on the adaptability demonstrated by this industry, will discuss systemic shifts in hospitality and leisure investment that continue to drive the industry forward, with increasingly blurred lines between life personal and professional, requiring innovation in all aspects so that one can work remotely while living outside the large urban centers, taking advantage of all types of infrastructure and technologies that the resorts make available to their residents.

In the 2019 edition, more than 400 delegates from 14 countries participated in this international meeting that offers a balance between networking and information on investment strategies and trends in the sector.

The CEO of Vilamoura World, João Brion Sanches, will be one of the participants at the conference, on the panel “Destination Portugal”, a session in which the President of Turismo de Portugal, Luís Araújo, and Julio Delgado, CEO of Ombria Resort, will also participate jointly talk about Portugal’s opportunities as an investment destination.

Algarve in the race for Best Beach Destination in the World 2021

The Algarve Tourism Region – RTA, reported that the Algarve is once again nominated for “Best Beach Destination in the World 2021” at the World Travel Awards, the Tourism Oscars, a category that won for the first time last year.

Voting is open to both travellers and the general public, as well as travel and tourism professionals and takes place at www.worldtravelawards.com/vote, with the winner being announced in November, during a gala taking place in Moscow, Russia.

The region’s hospitality industry is also represented in the race to choose the best in the world in the tourism industry, with 20 nominations in various categories, including «Best Beach Resort in the World», «Best Family Resort in the World» or «Best Hotel of the Luxury of the World», among others.

To the two dozen nominations from hotels in the Algarve are added six nominations from units from Madeira, five from Lisbon and one from Alentejo. Portugal is also nominated for “Best Destination in the World”, “Best Family Destination in the World” and “Best Nature Destination in the World”, in a total of 54 national nominations.

Established in 1993 to recognize, reward and celebrate excellence in all key sectors of the travel, tourism and hospitality industry, the World Travel Awards celebrate their 28th anniversary in 2021. Every year, a series of gala ceremonies Regional companies recognize excellence in each continent, culminating in a Grand Final in which only destinations, companies, services and equipment are named among the best in the world. 

Nau Victoria from Spain will dock at Marina de Lagos

Nau Victoria, the replica of the 16th century ship that went around the world with Fernão de Magalhães and Elcano, docks in Lagos from 26th to 31st October.

The show Spain, biennial initiative program more than 40 cultural activities by 2022 across the country, arrives in October to Lagos, with Nau Victoria, a replica of the ship that between 1519 and 1522, has achieved the greatest maritime adventure story:  First Round the World by captains Fernão de Magalhães and Juan Sebastián Elcano.

During the Nau’s stay at the Lagos marina, there will be a program of free visits, guided visits to educational establishments and expert lectures on Spanish-Portuguese maritime exploits.

This replica was built in Spain in 1991, and to delineate the shapes and define the characteristics of the ship, Ignacio Fernández Vial, its designer and builder, conducted a long process of historical research. An exhaustive study, based on documental sources, chronicles, nautical treatises from the 16th century, and iconography of the time, which allowed us to determine its main dimensions, mast, sails and equipment.

Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 6^th October 2021

Order wants more nurses in the Algarve but hospitals are already looking for professionals in Spain

The president of the Ordem dos Enfermeiros today called for the hiring of more professionals for the Hospital and University Center of the Algarve (CHUA), but the administration says there is no one to hire and are looking for nurses in Spain.

Speaking to journalists on the side lines of a visit to Faro hospital, Ana Rita Cavaco considered it essential to hire “more nurses” for CHUA, as well as “changes in the organization and emergency circuit” and “one-off” corrections in Cardiology services and Surgery 1.

“We are talking about a hospital that, in terms of the ratio of nurses per thousand inhabitants, at the moment, is one of the worst in the country. This hiring has to be constant, so that we can go in time to keep services and functional areas open, otherwise, we cannot serve the population”, he said.

The visit of the bastonária takes place after, in August, 65 of the 72 Nurses of the Emergency Department of CHUA have presented a declaration of disclaimer of responsibility, alleging lack of conditions to provide care.

The nurse director of CHUA argued that, since the new administration took office two years ago, it has already hired “250 nurses”, a number that is “manifestly insufficient”, although there is a concern to admit professionals according to the “availability of those who appear ” in the business market.

“We have been hiring all the nurses who have shown us availability to work at CHUA”, assured Mariana Santos, stressing that the difficulty in retaining professionals in the region led the administration to establish protocols with universities in Andalusia, Spain.

The objective is to hire newly graduated professionals, from whom they have received “requests for information” and who, if they materialize, will be forwarded to the Ordem dos Enfermeiros to “formalize the process of accreditation and certification of competence in Portugal”.

São Brás de Alportel celebrates the establishment of the Republic by raising the flag, music and exhibition

The Municipality of São Brás de Alportel celebrated the 111th anniversary of the establishment of the Republic, this Tuesday, October 5th, with the flag-raising ceremony and musical moments by the São Brás de Alportel Philharmonic Band, within the scope of the Music and Monuments.

At 10:00 am, there was a gathering of members of the Humanitarian Association of Voluntary Firefighters of São Brás de Alportel and the Philharmonic Band of São Brás de Alportel, at the ceremony which took place at the Paços do Concelho. The flag was raised, with a program adapted to the Municipality’s Contingency Plan for the prevention of contagion by Covid-19.

The performances of the São Brás de Alportel Philharmonic Band, at 10:30 am in the Churchyard and at 11:15 am in Largo de São Sebastião, took place within the scope of the Music and Monuments Festival, an initiative of the Musical Confederation Portugal (CMP).

The Dr. Estanco Louro Municipal Library marks the date with the exhibition “The Presidents of the Republic, from 1910 to the present”, which will be open until this Friday, October 8th.

Portimão raises awareness of breast cancer in yet another “Pink October”

The municipality of Portimão is once again associated with the international campaign “Outubro Rosa”, with a view to raising awareness of the prevention and early diagnosis of breast cancer, in partnership with the Portuguese League against Cancer (LPCC) and the Oncological Association of the Algarve (AOA).

Thus, on October 9th, in partnership with the LPCC – Southern Regional Nucleus, the municipality will develop several Solidarity Walks and a gathering in order to raise awareness of the issue of prevention and early diagnosis of breast cancer.

The Solidarity Walks will take place from 10:00 am in the three parishes of the county, with the following coordinates: Portimão – departure from the riverside area, next to Clube Naval (registration: 282 470 813 | secretaria.gimnodesportivo@cm-portimao.pt); Alvor – departure from the Sports Complex (registration: 282 248 570 | cdalvor@cm-portimao.pt) and Mexilhoeira Grande – departure from the Sports Complex (registration: 282 248 571 | cdmexgrande@cm-portimao.pt).

Participants will be able to purchase the solidarity t-shirt in advance for a price of five euros, at the different registration points or on October 9th at the starting points of the hikes.

Loulé: Two men arrested for illegal hunting

On Sunday, the GNR Environmental Protection Nucleus detained two men, 74 and 75 years old, for the crime of hunting in non-hunting terrain, less than 250 meters from houses and villages, in the town of Monte Ruivo, municipality of Loulé.

Through an inspection action, the military detected suspects hunting in a terrain where hunting is not allowed, namely in the vicinity of a settlement.

After conducting a search of the suspects, the following objects were seized: two 12-caliber firearms; 39 12-gauge cartridges; two hunter cards and two firearm booklets.

The detainees were constituted as defendants, and the facts were referred to the Judicial Court of Loulé.

The GNR reminds that hunting is prohibited within 250 meters of homes, in accordance with current legislation.

 

Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 29^th September 2021

Paediatricians ask for more professionals to avoid emergency closure in Faro

The Paediatrics emergency service at the Hospital de Faro may be at risk of closing due to the lack of professionals, which is making it difficult to fill out the scales. The alert was made in a letter signed by 23 paediatricians and interns of this service, which was sent, on 14 September, both to the Board of Directors of the Hospital and University Centre of the Algarve (CHUA), and to the Government, and where more is requested to be hired professionals.

Photo Nuno Costa

The Board of Directors admits the problem, but says that “it has been making every effort to fill in the gaps”, being “committed to finding solutions, not only punctual, but essentially fundamental”.

This is the great request of paediatricians who, in this letter, which is accompanied by letters excusing responsibility, call for “quick solutions” to make up for the shortage of doctors.

Only in this way will it be possible to “protect the population of the Algarve from the eventual closure of the Emergency Service”, they say.

In recent months, they complain, there have been “serious problems” in filling out the scales, with a “very evident mismatch between the number of professionals, the shifts to be filled and the volume of users” who come to the emergency room.

This service receives, on average, 41,253 emergency episodes and 748 admissions to a short-term inpatient unit annually, in addition to 940 admissions to the ward.

Currently, 13 doctors work in the Paediatrics Emergency Department of the Hospital de Faro (6 of whom are over 55 years old, which means they can request a dispensation from the emergency room). Of the rest, three have a medical certificate.

4th Green Flag for the Algarve Hotel and Tourism School

The Algarve Hotel and Tourism School was once again awarded the Green Flag for the Eco-Schools project, for the fourth consecutive time since 2017, an international project that rewards and highlights the work carried out by schools based on environmental, sustainability and social responsibility issues.

In a year of distance learning, the school accepted the challenge of promoting “measures and actions taken with the Environment, Sustainability, Circular Economy, Healthy and Sustainable Food, Air and Outdoor Spaces in mind, the themes to be worked on that year”, highlights the EHTA in statement.

Marília Mendes and Janine Sieben, coordinators of the Eco-Schools project, addressed the differences in relation to previous years: “We started the school year certain that this would be a challenging year for the realization of projects that involve constant monitoring and monitoring. With teaching from a distance, the habit of approaching students in the corridors to remind them of the tasks or activities for which they are responsible had to be replaced by reminders, digital notifications that culminated in online meetings”.

For both, it was clear that “the final results – winning the 4th Green Flag – show that when there is a will, physical distance is not an obstacle”.

Algarve tourism focused on the resumption of professional events in the region

Turismo do Algarve is committed to demonstrating that the destination is prepared to once again receive all kinds of live events from the so-called Meeting Industry (MI).

Leveraging the recovery of this segment is a priority objective for the promotion of the region and, in this sense, the Algarve will be present, until the end of September, in three strategic actions, announced the Algarve Tourism Association.

One of these events is The Meetings Space Autumn, dedicated to doing business in the IM area. This year’s edition takes place in Copenhagen and has the presence of 55 buyers from different countries in Europe, including the United Kingdom and Germany, two of the most relevant markets for the region. Here, the Algarve Tourism Association (ATA) will not only have the opportunity to present the region’s offer to the various agents in the sector, but also to participate in various activities designed to encourage networking with these professionals.

ATA will also participate in Connections for All, an initiative exclusively aimed at travel professionals, which will take place in London, and which will be attended by around 100 buyers from the United Kingdom. Some tourist companies in the region will be present together with ATA, focusing on the Algarve’s offer in terms of products such as business tourism, luxury tourism or weddings.

At the Portugal Business Meetings, a workshop for professionals, exclusively aimed at the French market, which will take place in Cascais, ATA will have access to meetings with 27 buyers from the Meeting Industry.

 

Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 22 September 2021 

International team of scientists seeks unprecedented information on tsunamis in Paul do Martinhal

“Do you see that more yellowish sand there, just above the level where the water is now? It is the deposit of the tsunami of 1755”. César Andrade, professor and researcher at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, points to the layers of sediment in various shades of brown, which can be seen on the wall of the trench located on the now dry bottom of Paul do Martinhal, next to the beach of the same name, in Sagres.

It is here that the efforts of a team of researchers are concentrated, some of them still students, from that Portuguese university, but also from the University of Poznan, in Poland. The project, called TsunaStorm, also involves the University of Coimbra and a university in Switzerland.

The work started on September 14th and will continue until the 23rd of September. Carlos Andrade reported to Sul Informaçã that “we started by prospecting some holes to identify the best places to dig the trenches, then we opened small prospecting trenches by hand.  Due to the precious help of the Municipality of Vila do Bispo, we have this machine, which makes our work much easier.” A backhoe machine, provided by the Chamber, was used to dig a twenty meter long trench.  The investigators, wearing rubber boots, carefully examined the layers of slightly different colors which can be seen on the side walls of the trench. These layers measure from one meter high to the water table in the ground. “The fact that the marsh is dry for us is very good, it makes life easier for us,” says César Andrade.

For more information:

https://www.sulinformacao.pt/2021/09/equipa-internacional-de-cientistas-procura-informacao-inedita-sobre-tsunamis-no-paul-do-martinhal/

EasyJet announces the creation of 30 new jobs in Faro with additional planes

Air carrier EasyJet announced today that it will place a new plane at the Faro base for the summer of 2022 creating around 30 direct jobs in the Algarve. In addition another four planes will be added between Malaga and Palma de Mallorca, Spain.

According to EasyJet, this investment creates around 150 direct jobs for pilots and crew under local contracts in Portugal and Spain.

“Since the beginning of the pandemic, EasyJet has continued to invest in Portugal, where it opened a new base in Faro in June 2021 and increased the global Portuguese fleet by 60%”, says the carrier.

Thus, next summer, Faro will have four planes, bringing the Portuguese fleet to 13 planes, including five at the base in Lisbon and four in Porto.

“This investment will create around 150 direct jobs in Portugal and Spain. In Portugal alone, EasyJet currently employs more than 425 people, all under local contracts and negotiated with Portuguese industrial unions”, stresses the carrier.

José Lopes, EasyJet Country Manager for Portugal says he is very pleased to be able to announce this investment in the Portuguese market. 

Portimão debates Sustainable and Healthy Mobility with experts

“Sustainable and Healthy Mobility” is the theme of the workshops that take place today and tomorrow, in the auditorium of Portimão Arena, as part of the European Mobility Week. The initiative has the presence of specialists in the subject.

The holding of these workshops, which will also be broadcast on the Facebook site of the Portimão City Council, aims to raise the discussion of principles and ideas that encourage behaviours compatible with sustainable development. The purpose is to make citizens aware of the effects that their choices will have on the environment, while providing them with opportunities to move around in a sustainable and healthy way.

Since it is important to rediscover and enhance the heritage of cities and towns by their own inhabitants, preferably in a healthier and more pleasant environment, the program will start on September 21 with the workshop “Sustainable mobility”.  This panel will deal with the role of children in the conception of the new city. Pedro Ribeiro da Silva, urban and land planner, will speak.