Despite the Maddie headlines, Algarve records 'best ever' year!

[John]

Algarve records 'best ever' year

by TPN/ Lusa
04-02-2015

Portugal's Algarve region had 16.4 million overnight stays in 2014, making it the best ever year on that measure, according to provisional figures released on Tuesday by the regional tourist board, the RTA, that also showed Faro airport handling over 6 million passengers for the first time.




Overnight stays have grown every year since 2009, according to the RTA, making this the longest period of continuous growth in the region's history. In 2013, there were 14.7 million n and in 2009, 12.9 million.

At a news conference to unveil the results, the RTA's president, Desidério Silva, said that growth is expected to continue this year, but that national officials can not rest on their laurels or the Algarve could lose competitiveness in relation to other regions in Portugal and abroad.

"It has been an effort by many people, but it must continue to be done," he said, acknowledging that it is more difficult to growth from this high base, but expressing confidence that demand this year will be in line with that seen last year. That, he added, means "more responsibility".

The RTA, which was created 45 years ago this year, is bidding for national and European Union funds to bolster the visibility of the region's brand.

By far the largest single group of foreign visitors to the Algarve last year were the British (5.1 million overnight stays) followed by Germans (1.5 million) and the Dutch (1.3 million).

www.theportugalnews.com/news/algarve-records-best-ever-year/33877

[Alfred R Jones]

Is this good news or bad news for McCann "sceptics"?  I'm not sure... &%+((£

[John]

Strong pound revives property market
 by Brendan de Beer, in News · 29-01-2015 13:59:00 · 0 Comments

Over the past 12 months, the pound has strengthened by 15 percent against the euro, which means potential British buyers can purchase a lot more for the same when it comes to property in Portugal. A number of experts in the field to whom The Portugal News spoke in the past few days have all confirmed an upswing in interest and actual sales. Positive trends in the market have been particularly evident during the month of January, with a dramatic shift in activity.



Snip..

"Some areas continue to struggle

José Bernardo, who owns two Remax agencies in the Algarve said his team also noted a sharp increase in interest from potential British buyers in recent months. He admitted this initially left his sales team somewhat perplexed, but has now attributed some of this interest to the stronger pound.

“Requests for additional information soared during the final quarter of the year and have carried on into January”, said Mr Bernardo.

He added that properties in some areas, such as Carvoeiro and parts of Albufeira, have seen growing interest and a rise in sales, while the selling off of the abundant offering of apartments in Portimão and Lagos remains an arduous task."

Read full article...

[Alice Purjorick]

Is this good news or bad news for McCann "sceptics"?  I'm not sure... &%+((£

I think bad news for those who like to portray Portugal as a third world country complete with lawless hinterland and cops who will bang anyone up just for the fun of it.

[Alfred R Jones]

I think bad news for those who like to portray Portugal as a third world country complete with lawless hinterland and cops who will bang anyone up just for the fun of it.

It's a mixed blessing for the "sceptics" though isn't it?  On the one hand, hooray for Portugal, with its tourist industry doing so well and on the other, oh dear, we'll have to stop blaming the McCanns for the ruination of the country, in particular the Algarve.  Though I doubt this news will stop the McCann blame game really...

[Carana]

I think bad news for those who like to portray Portugal as a third world country complete with lawless hinterland and cops who will bang anyone up just for the fun of it.

Some blamed the global property market, the banking crisis and the effect on the Euro to the McCanns back in 2007-2008. I expect that some of the same people will now attribute the currently cheap Euro to Amaral's imminent win in the libel trial...

There's not much you can do with the terminal conspiranoids of any flavour.

[Carana]

@ Alfie.

LOL. Similar reflections.

[Lyall]

Bad news for the narrative of the Summers and Swan book I think.

"If only the McCanns had known about the Algarve"! &%&£(+

[Carana]

Bad news for the narrative of the Summers and Swan book I think.

Why?

[Lyall]

Why?

They were exaggerating. Hugely.

[Alfred R Jones]

Yeah, I can just see the Narrative of the Summers and Swann book cursing this latest news "why if it wasn't for those pesky healthy tourism statistics....!" it's saying to itself... *&*%£

[Alfred R Jones]

They were exaggerating. Hugely.

For instance...?

[Alice Purjorick]

Some blamed the global property market, the banking crisis and the effect on the Euro to the McCanns back in 2007-2008. I expect that some of the same people will now attribute the currently cheap Euro to Amaral's imminent win in the libel trial...

There's not much you can do with the terminal conspiranoids of any flavour.

True! Books are still being written about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln 150 years on. It is odd how Lincoln and Kennedy top the list while Garfield and McKinley are more or less consigned to being footnotes in history.
A bit like the McCann case I suppose.

[Carana]

It's a mixed blessing for the "sceptics" though isn't it?  On the one hand, hooray for Portugal, with its tourist industry doing so well and on the other, oh dear, we'll have to stop blaming the McCanns for the ruination of the country, in particular the Algarve.  Though I doubt this news will stop the McCann blame game really...

Another issue is if more foreigners start taking advantage of the cheap Euro to buy more property.

Part of the resentment when the Algarve took off way before Madeleine was a twinkle in her parents' eyes, from what I can gather, was that too many foreigners were buying up property that nationals couldn't afford to buy and that they were left with the "over paid and over here" syndrome.

It's not clear to me how much local investment was actually made into these former fishing villages. Nor how much got pocketed via local corruption. 

[Lyall]

They were exaggerating. Hugely.

16.4 million overnight stays, but both the book and police apparently are trying to tie a handful of events to PdL May 3 2007.