The two decades of APAL – Albufeira Promotion Agency were marked on Friday, April 19, with a program that took place at Nau Salgados Palace.
One of the highlights was the ‘Paths for Tourism’ conference, which opened with interventions by Desidério Silva, president of the APAL board, and the recently appointed Secretary of State for Tourism, Pedro Machado.
On the occasion, Desidério Silva called for joint work with the Municipality and the commitment of associates to strengthen the Albufeira brand. The president of the board stated that APAL “is and will always be a partner of the municipality”, reiterating that this “is not only a tourist promotion association, but also a link with the business sector, especially hotels and similar sectors”.
Regarding the tourist tax to be charged by the municipality, he said he expected it to be used in favor of aspects such as the promotion and enhancement of the Albufeira destination and brand; requalification of public space; basic sanitation infrastructures; accessibility and transport, and professional training.
The director praised the presentation of the strategic plan to attract new tourists and the protocol with the Algarve Hotel and Tourism School, considering “essential steps to improve the quality of the offer and change the perception of Albufeira”.
Addressing the Secretary of State for Tourism, Desidério Silva challenged the government to prioritize several investments for the Algarve region, to accompany the efforts of the private sector. Among the investments listed, emphasis is placed, for example, on improving the transport network; road infrastructure; water management in the region; construction of a new central hospital; modernization of the railway line or the total requalification of EN 125.
“It is important to look at and value this region once and for all”, he argued, asking Pedro Machado to “sensitize the current government to place the Algarve in the place it deserves in terms of public investment, appreciation of the territory, sustainability environmental and economic”.
Pedro Machado also considers that the success of the tourism sector in Portugal depends on collaboration between the government, private sector and universities. The new Secretary of State for Tourism recognized that “the sector’s challenges are immense and so are the opportunities”, having revealed some of the new government’s goals.
The review of Law 33, the increase in the budget of the Tourism Regions, the better coordination between the different levels of action, the creation of a new agenda for tourism and the reduction of bureaucracy are some of these goals.
The ‘Paths for Tourism’ conference included two panels of experts, who reflected on some themes related to the sector.
To talk about ‘New Forms of Tourism Promotion’, António Jorge Costa, CEO of IPDT Turismo, and Carlos Coelho, president of Ivity Brand Group, were invited.
The theme ‘The Future of Tourism: Opportunities and Threats’ was addressed by Luís Serra Coelho, associate professor at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Algarve, and by João Luís Duque, full professor at ISEG – Technical University of Lisbon.
Closing the conference were José Carlos Rolo, president of Albufeira City Council, and André Gomes, president of the Algarve Tourism Region.
José Carlos Rolo highlighted the role of APAL as “the ‘armed arm’ of Albufeira City Council at the service of promoting the municipality” and expressed his willingness to “continue this partnership work so that the common objectives of tourist enhancement of this territory and its fabric economic can be achieved”.
For André Gomes, “it is essential to have good coordination between the various public, associative and private entities to enhance the sector, so that everyone, together, can work to maximize resources for the benefit of the region”.
The ‘Paths for Tourism’ conference was followed by a dinner, during which the people who were involved in the creation of APAL were honored, namely: Desidério Silva; José Carlos Rolo; Helder Martins; José Carlos Leandro; Vítor Vieira; Lina Bazelga; Carla Ponte; Cristina Miguel; Arlindo Simões Ferreira; José Santos; Rui Justo; Carlos Santos and Helena Simões. At the same time, the work carried out by Dora Coelho and Luís Pereira, former general coordinators of APAL, was highlighted, as well as Joana Machado, who currently performs this role.
The program also recognized the role played by Carlos Silva e Sousa in defending APAL, through the sponsorship of a scholarship named after him. This scholarship will be awarded for the period 2024/2027 to a student of the Degree in Tourism, at the University of Algarve, covering the payment of tuition fees for the three years of the course.
To formalize the delivery of this scholarship, Rosário Silva e Sousa, wife of the late mayor, and Paulo Águas, rector of the University of Algarve, were called to the stage.
