Capital talks with Francisco Caliros, president of the Portuguese Tourism Federation

In an interview with Antena 1 and Jornal de Negócios, Francisco Caliros, president of the Portuguese Tourism Federation, said the recovery has already started with the increase in reserves and not just because of the UK. Summer, according to Francisco Calheiros, will be better than last year but 30 percent less than 2019. The tourism revitalization plan, which the government introduced last week, according to the head of the cash transfer program, is a good help but its implementation is urgent. Every hour that passes matters and tourism cannot wait any longer. Francisco Caliros hopes the plan will go into effect in June.

He adds that in the Algarve at this moment there was a need for employment again because the people who worked in the sector, coming from other parts of the country, with the epidemic, chose in many cases to return to their homeland. In total, during the pandemic, the sector lost 50,000 people, but Francisco Caliros thinks they will recover quickly, not least because he believes Portugal will be able to reach 2019 levels already in 2023. Minimum wage, Francisco Caliros believes it is wise to wait Better times.

Tourism is interested in the future of TAP. The company is a critical factor in Portuguese tourism, and Francisco Caliros recalls it is not yet known what they will get from TAP. As for the new airport, it is considered that with the spread of the epidemic and the decrease in the number of visitors, the opportunity for the new airport to be ready in time for the recovery of tourism is lost. As for Ryanair, Francisco Caliros recommends caution. He says Portugal is not in a position to fire Ryanair, but he also doesn’t think the company will stop flying to Portugal as it is a very attractive destination and a good deal.

For the future, in order to allocate the annual scorecard, the head of the cash transfer program considers that the PS should invite the PSD to negotiate the budget.

Interview by journalists Rosário Lira, from Antena1 and Celso Filipe from Jornal de Negócios.