Events in Algarve in November and December
If you are planning to make a great trip in November/December to the wonderful Algarve you will definetely want to know this awesome events that are taking place here. More »
9 perfect tourist attractions to visit in Portugal this summer – Part 3
Dear friends, we are back with the 9 perfect tourist attractions to visit in Portugal this summer – Part 3 sees us going through the last three attractions of choice on our More »
9 perfect tourist attractions to visit in Portugal this summer – Part 2
We have finally come to the essential: Part 2 of the 9 perfect tourist attractions to visit in Portugal this summer brings us to the seaside, the sunny, brilliant, shimmering shores of More »
10 Places not to miss in Portimao – Part 1
Summer is here and it is the very best time to be in Portugal, by the ocean, drinking a cocktail and reading a good book on the rocky beaches. Today we give More »
The golf season in Algarve is on! – Part 2
The golf season in Algarve is on! Spring is probably the best time to practice golf: picture an endless green field surrounded by the blue waters of the Atlantic, the mild More »
The golf season in Algarve is on!
Dear friends in love with 2 things: Algarve, Portugal and golf, we have great news for you. The golf season in Algarve is on! The sunny shores of southern Portugal are More »
Did you know golf…
Did you know golf is one of the most popular sports in Portugal? In fact, the sunny shores of the southern part of the country are the some of the welcoming regions More »
A romantic Valentine’s Day in Portugal – Part 3
From a romantic Valentine’s Day in Portugal we got to explore some of the most wonderful corners of this beautiful country. It might be interesting to remind that February is a pleasant More »
January hotel room occupancy numbers
The room occupancy in the first month of 2013 has averaged at around 26.9 percent, a number that is very close to the one registered during the same time period in 2012 – these numbers are courtesy of the Algarve Association of hotel and tourist developments, or AHETA.
The Algarve needs a new strategy
AHETA – the Algarve hotels and resorts association is of the opinion that the Algarve is in need of improvements in regards to its accessibility in terms of affordable flights. They feel that the lack of overhaul in this area of the tourism policy has weakened the region’s overall competitiveness as a tourist destination.
According to AHETA, the region’s tourism potential and the air transport business should be seen as two sides of the same coin and as such they should not only be viewed together but also walk hand-in-hand. However, in recent years the two sides of the coin have been going their separate ways and this has to be brought to a point of balance as soon as possible so as to better support the Algarve economy.
Loule carnival is set to kick off
The Loule carnival – about which we talked a while back – is ready to start tomorrow on the 9th of February and fill the entire municipality with fun and entertainment.
This year’s Loule carnival will be socio-politically themed, “Troikered – The big circus” is its theme and the main Jose da Costa Mealha avenue will be the main staging ground for the floats and fun.
Albufeira increases beach season duration
It appears that Albufeira increases beach season duration in their try to minimize the effects of seasonality.
We tend to talk quite a bit about the idea of seasonality on this blog, and in relation to it about the various hardships that the region of the Algarve has been going through in the past couple of years. Economic downturns influence pretty much any industry, with some being more affected than others, and it is a widely known fact that tourism is one of the industries that gets hit the worst.
Algarve golf region takes UK magazine top award
Today’s Golfer – the UK golfing magazine – has yet again named the Algarve golf region as being the number one value-for-money European golfing destination and truthfully speaking now this should not come as a surprise to no one.
This is the second time running that the Algarve golf region gets the top spot, ahead of Turkey and Murcia, getting forty-three percent of the votes. On the whole the Algarve was also the one to get the most awards – six in total.
Suggested VAT rise for wine and culture may happen
We haven’t reported very much on the start-of-year financial news coming from the Algarve, but it’s about time to do so because today we’ll be talking about another potential VAT rise that will surely affect tourism to the region and that people need to be aware of.
It appears to tat the International Monetary Fund – IMF – sees some untapped financial potential for the Portuguese government to increase the VAT on goods and services like wine, processed foods and cultural events thus further widening the tax base. The current VAT for these is set at 13% and the IMF suggests that it can go up to 23%.
This assessment is part of the IMF country report which is part of the sixth evaluation of Portugal’s bailout programme.
