'We're bewildered' – Portugal tourism chief hits back at UK's 'confusing' air bridge decision
Portugal’s most senior tourism chief has expressed ‘bewilderment’ at the UK’s decision not to open a travel corridor with his country.
Responding to the news yesterday that Portugal is excluded from a list of 74 countries and territories that will soon be exempt from UK quarantine rules, the president of Turismo de Portugal, Luis Araújo, has condemned a decision that will deprive the Portuguese travel industry of its largest visitor source this summer.
“We are extremely disappointed to hear that the UK government has made the decision to omit Portugal from the air bridge agreement,” said Mr Araújo.
“The reality in Portugal is totally different from the one portrayed by this decision. We fully maintain and stress unwavering confidence in the safety of the nation to welcome back international visitors.
“From our viewpoint, the entire national territory should have been appropriately included in the UK travel corridor owing to the successful containment of the outbreak.”
Mr Araújo also levelled criticism at the UK Government’s decision to continue demanding all arrivals from Portugal enter a two-week quarantine on the same day the FCO downgraded its travel warning for Madeira and the Azores, meaning that it is no longer advising against ‘all but essential’ travel to the Portuguese islands.
“We have to remain completely honest when voicing our bewilderment at such a decision and confusing message,” he said.
He joins other senior Portuguese officials expressing shock and anger at the UK's decision, including MP and Health spokesperson for the Social Democratic Party, Ricardo Baptista Leite, who told The Telegraph the decision to exclude Portugal from British 'air bridges' was not based on science and will leave diplomatic scars.
Turismo de Portugal has pointed to statistics claiming that since beginning of May, the number of Covid-19 cases admitted to Portuguese intensive care units has halved, overall hospitalisation decreased by 60 per cent, and that there are just 13,000 cases throughout the country.
The organisation also highlighted the fact that Portugal was the first European country to receive the ‘Travel Safe’ stamp by the World Travel & Tourism Council, demonstrating internationally approved safety and hygiene standards.
However, a recent upturn in the number of new infections has dissuaded UK officials from lifting travel restrictions on its long-standing Iberian ally.
Some three million British travellers make their way to Portugal every year, collectively forming almost a fifth of the nation’s tourism market.
The Algarve in southern Portugal is the third most popular destination in Europe among UK holidaymakers, although travel to the country has been severely curtailed since the coronavirus pandemic forced Portuguese authorities to close the borders in March.
