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Where has the tourism gone?
I agree with SHOWWWIE the saving grace for the Algarve, is the fact it must be one of the safest holiday destinations at this time...
I have made a few complaints of the ways things are run and lack of just those few finishing touches....but I must say as far as a safe place to visit you can't get much better than the Algarve. Yes there are a few robberies, some car theft & the odd bar fight. But serial killers, terrorist bombings & rapists...are just not heard of.
It was the main reason our family moved us out here back in 86, I now have a 3 yr old daughter....and there are very few places she could grow up safer..credit where credit is due.
Just look at Sky or BBC news, it is enough to make your blood run cold!
I have made a few complaints of the ways things are run and lack of just those few finishing touches....but I must say as far as a safe place to visit you can't get much better than the Algarve. Yes there are a few robberies, some car theft & the odd bar fight. But serial killers, terrorist bombings & rapists...are just not heard of.
It was the main reason our family moved us out here back in 86, I now have a 3 yr old daughter....and there are very few places she could grow up safer..credit where credit is due.
Just look at Sky or BBC news, it is enough to make your blood run cold!
I might add that there is a huge Portuguese market here as well.
It is estimated that close to 400,000 Portuguese people now live in Canada,
approximately two-thirds living in Ontario. Toronto is the heart of the
Portuguese community with over 160,000 Portuguese people.
Only about 500 Portuguese entered Canada between 1900 and 1949, the balance came here in the fifties and after.
Many of these folks are of retirement age now and their children are getting there too. Wouldn't they love to come to the Algarve to escape the Canadian winters especially and to visit with family and friends too!
More marketing! Get the word out!
It is estimated that close to 400,000 Portuguese people now live in Canada,
approximately two-thirds living in Ontario. Toronto is the heart of the
Portuguese community with over 160,000 Portuguese people.
Only about 500 Portuguese entered Canada between 1900 and 1949, the balance came here in the fifties and after.
Many of these folks are of retirement age now and their children are getting there too. Wouldn't they love to come to the Algarve to escape the Canadian winters especially and to visit with family and friends too!
More marketing! Get the word out!
I thought that visitors to the Algarve (or Portugal) was up on previous years? The difference is, that people are booking their own holidays all separately, direct with owners etc. rather than doing a package. I haven't booked a package holiday in years, yet before we came to live here, we visited frequently. The tourist industry probably has no idea what people like myself are doing and have no statistics to show for it.
There are many visitors to the Algarve, but they do different things these days. People are not prepared to be ripped off, so will travel further afield, hire a car etc. and eat out in places other than the resort they are staying. Carvoeiro no doubt will be feeling the effects of that. I live in Carvoeiro, but have probably only been to the bars and restaurants in the area a handful of times.
Also gone are the days that people would buy tacky souveniers from gift shops. Going abroad is accessible to everyone and so buying gifts to take home is less of a novelty. Also people want more for their money now, not to waste it on tat.
I don't think the Algarve or Portugal are losing out, although they could do a lot more in the way of promotion. I just think tourism has changed.
M
There are many visitors to the Algarve, but they do different things these days. People are not prepared to be ripped off, so will travel further afield, hire a car etc. and eat out in places other than the resort they are staying. Carvoeiro no doubt will be feeling the effects of that. I live in Carvoeiro, but have probably only been to the bars and restaurants in the area a handful of times.
Also gone are the days that people would buy tacky souveniers from gift shops. Going abroad is accessible to everyone and so buying gifts to take home is less of a novelty. Also people want more for their money now, not to waste it on tat.
I don't think the Algarve or Portugal are losing out, although they could do a lot more in the way of promotion. I just think tourism has changed.
M
Well said Misty, I think you are right.
'Dynamic packaging' is what its all about now. Putting different elements of your holiday together yourself or just buying certain bits from the internet or travel agents. The figures published last year said that tourism was up on the Algarve didn't they?. I think more promotion needs to be done to show travellers that Portugal is not all about Albuferia, that there are some lovely unspolit places like the Douro vallery and closer to home (!) the Alentejo. I think the Algarve needs to sell itself as an upmarket destination to increase tourism. (so less tacky gift shops and 'theme bars etc)
'Dynamic packaging' is what its all about now. Putting different elements of your holiday together yourself or just buying certain bits from the internet or travel agents. The figures published last year said that tourism was up on the Algarve didn't they?. I think more promotion needs to be done to show travellers that Portugal is not all about Albuferia, that there are some lovely unspolit places like the Douro vallery and closer to home (!) the Alentejo. I think the Algarve needs to sell itself as an upmarket destination to increase tourism. (so less tacky gift shops and 'theme bars etc)
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Ellie
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Tricks mate, I think it depends on what you mean by 'up market'?
Are you thinking of for the more 'well off'? Ever more golf courses? More big villa complexes?
I believe theres a great danger of losing the real Portugal. Of course those who have lived there a long time (Martin for example) will have seen so many changes. It has changed a lot since we first set foot there..when Carvoeiro was still a fishing village.
Although I agree with Bife that things could well do with a lick of paint etc...Id really hate for CVO to lose that fishing village ambience.
Lagoa still has its scruffy parts, but I always feel it has the touch of real Portugal about it...and again I would hate my 'second ' home to become 'plasticised' and lose reality...as was my experience on visiting Pestana golf..where I (we) felt as though we were on the set of 'The Prisoner'!
I happen to like the little gift shops..some of my best jewellry is tat
I enjoy the fun of them, the novelties.
Ive seen some of my old Portuguese friends from way back, lose their livelihood for the sake of 'modern'..and the new bigger supermarkets etc.
That makes me very sad. Its their homeland and they need jobs.
One of my good friends moved away from Silves cos he hated the way his country was going..he was upset by it.
Of course we have to 'move on', thats inevitable....but don't lets lose the beauty of the place, the real place.
I don't mind a bit of tat or some scruffiness...thats part of life..its real!
Are you thinking of for the more 'well off'? Ever more golf courses? More big villa complexes?
I believe theres a great danger of losing the real Portugal. Of course those who have lived there a long time (Martin for example) will have seen so many changes. It has changed a lot since we first set foot there..when Carvoeiro was still a fishing village.
Although I agree with Bife that things could well do with a lick of paint etc...Id really hate for CVO to lose that fishing village ambience.
Lagoa still has its scruffy parts, but I always feel it has the touch of real Portugal about it...and again I would hate my 'second ' home to become 'plasticised' and lose reality...as was my experience on visiting Pestana golf..where I (we) felt as though we were on the set of 'The Prisoner'!
I happen to like the little gift shops..some of my best jewellry is tat
I enjoy the fun of them, the novelties.
Ive seen some of my old Portuguese friends from way back, lose their livelihood for the sake of 'modern'..and the new bigger supermarkets etc.
That makes me very sad. Its their homeland and they need jobs.
One of my good friends moved away from Silves cos he hated the way his country was going..he was upset by it.
Of course we have to 'move on', thats inevitable....but don't lets lose the beauty of the place, the real place.
I don't mind a bit of tat or some scruffiness...thats part of life..its real!
The numbers are up? Sorry...don't beleive everything you read! There were more tourists arriving at Faro yes, but a good percentage are staying across the border in Spain. As the golf and accommodation is cheaper, but it is easier to travel from Faro!
Hotel rooms are getting higher occupancy due to the problems now renting, out private properties....plus there are no official figues for the private property rental market!
I work specifically with small rental agents, with online direct sales. As well as large tour opertators selling the packages. Everyone is feeling the strain of slow & drecreased sales, and the general lack of interest in the Algarve.
There could be a whole bigger picture that I'm missing, but I can only comment on what I have first hand knowledge of....
Hotel rooms are getting higher occupancy due to the problems now renting, out private properties....plus there are no official figues for the private property rental market!
I work specifically with small rental agents, with online direct sales. As well as large tour opertators selling the packages. Everyone is feeling the strain of slow & drecreased sales, and the general lack of interest in the Algarve.
There could be a whole bigger picture that I'm missing, but I can only comment on what I have first hand knowledge of....
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Michael Crane
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Hello Ellie,Ellie wrote: Although I agree with Bife that things could well do with a lick of paint etc...Id really hate for CVO to lose that fishing village ambience.
Lagoa still has its scruffy parts, but I always feel it has the touch of real Portugal about it...and again I would hate my 'second ' home to become 'plasticised' and lose reality...as was my experience on visiting Pestana golf..where I (we) felt as though we were on the set of 'The Prisoner'!
I agree, and I think a lot of tourists would as well. Shabby is attractive when it is an old fishermans cottage that has become tired over the years. What needs a "lick of paint" is the not sold so apartment blocks that are looking run down that were built in the 80's & 90's!
I also love seeing the little shops in the town working (my wife has one in the village). A lot of the charm in village like Carvoeiro, is having good restaurants with some nice shops to stroll around afterwards!
I think what I said didn't come out right. By up-market I meant that it should retain its original charm, whether 'shabby' or not, and that its shouldn't become too commercialised with nightclubs and theme bars like some of the larger resorts.
I think there are enought large complex's and certainly enough golf courses. It should retain its family atmoshere and the real Algarve should be allowed to shine through.
Tricky
I think there are enought large complex's and certainly enough golf courses. It should retain its family atmoshere and the real Algarve should be allowed to shine through.
Tricky
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e-richard
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Well thank God there aren't thousands like MCMichael Crane wrote:How is it possible to measure people like me? I come twice a year. DIY - no package and I deal directly with the villa owner. Who's to say there aren't tens of thousands of us doing the same?
No, kidding aside, there are many ways to estimate the numbers of private DIY travellers. Whether its passenger movements at Faro (minus a guesstimate of those heading for Spain), surveys among car rental companies, restaurants, tourist attractions (Zoomarine type places) or even dare I say it, from the tax returns of private owners - all of whom do file their returns annually don't they ?
There is quite a science behind this estimation process and its remarkably more accurate than you may think. The problem we see is when the results are published, the organization putting out the results frequently has some axe to grind, so they publish selective figures only.
At the end of the day, its folks like us here, including bife73 who have some first hand gut feel that can offer good opinions and our estimates are sometimes just as reliable - and often just as biased
Jan arrivals at Faro airport up 14% from last year, Look at this weeks Resident article.
The " package tour " is going the same way as the bucket and spade UK holiday.
Yes that market does no longer finds the Algarve as attractive as 2 weeks all inclusive in Turkey or The Dominican Republic ( for the same price ).
What we really need are accurate statistics and analysis so those in the leisure industry can target those who do visit the ALgarve in ( if the activity at Faro is correct ) in the same or increasing numbers.
The " package tour " is going the same way as the bucket and spade UK holiday.
Yes that market does no longer finds the Algarve as attractive as 2 weeks all inclusive in Turkey or The Dominican Republic ( for the same price ).
What we really need are accurate statistics and analysis so those in the leisure industry can target those who do visit the ALgarve in ( if the activity at Faro is correct ) in the same or increasing numbers.
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Ellie
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Well I don't know about all that as Im not involved in the holiday trade but what I do know is, if the hols were slightly cheaper there may be more families and those who are not so well-healed, coming out to Algarve.
Most things like holidays often just boil down to plain old economics..specially for those with kiddies & folk on basic pensions.
So, its more 'markets' we need you think? But Ive always got the impression (and not just when we were living there) that there are plenty of markets?
I still like my tat shops
...I love nothing more than rummaging for bangles & beads, sandals, pottery, T-shirts,cheap perfume(that rocks the room) and the like...
and of course the Chinese shop in CVO, where I can rummage for my tat and also more importantly get online to............here!
Most things like holidays often just boil down to plain old economics..specially for those with kiddies & folk on basic pensions.
So, its more 'markets' we need you think? But Ive always got the impression (and not just when we were living there) that there are plenty of markets?
I still like my tat shops
...I love nothing more than rummaging for bangles & beads, sandals, pottery, T-shirts,cheap perfume(that rocks the room) and the like...and of course the Chinese shop in CVO, where I can rummage for my tat and also more importantly get online to............here!
Last summer, Carvoeiro was extremely busy with tourists, especially those with hire cars. So much so that I found it took me a very long time to get home on many occassions! I don't think that shows any decrease in visitors to the area at all. It was like that all through the main summer period.
Oh, and I like the Chinese shop! Its just shops full of totally pointless tat, which used to suffice as souveniers etc. that are probably out of date these days.
Portugal does need to do something to compete with other places, but I think most of us agree that it is still a very popular destination, and I wouldn't say tourism is down here at all.
Oh, and I like the Chinese shop! Its just shops full of totally pointless tat, which used to suffice as souveniers etc. that are probably out of date these days.
Portugal does need to do something to compete with other places, but I think most of us agree that it is still a very popular destination, and I wouldn't say tourism is down here at all.