Portugal FACTFILE
The Algarve saw
a 4.5 per cent increase in British tourists during the first quarter of the year
tastings. The four-star Meliá Braga Hotel & Spa has also opened this year. Also on the Atlantic Coast, just 20 minutes west of Lisbon, the new 142- room/suite five-star luxury Oitavos Hotel will open in September. Set within the Sintra Cascais National Park and adjacent to the Oitavos Dunes golf course the hotel includes a spa with indoor and outdoor swimming pools. An 18-hole championship Nick Faldo golf course at Ponta do Pargo in Madeira and the six-star Conrad Hilton Quinta do Lago will open in 2011.
Portugal Trade Focus
ATOP is focusing its agent training activities on the Azores, in response to growing demand for these islands, and on the Alentejo region where the key selling point is the food, wine and the fresco routes. ATOP's revamped website (
www.discoverportugal.org. uk) now features special offers for niche destinations and products which link to tour operator web sites. Atlantic Holidays has reintroduced
direct flights from Gatwick to Madeira’s neighbour Porto Santo for June, July and September. Boss Joao Camacho said: “People still don’t know about the island as much as we would like.”
Portugal Niche Planet Holidays launched a weddings
programme to the Algarve last year. The company's managing director, Mathilde Robert, said: “Agents have given this tremendous support, so much so that we are starting to handle agents’ own weddings! For couples looking to tie the knot without having to fly very far it offers a combination of stunning sceneries, rich historical interest, great outdoor activities plus hotels and villas. We hope to grow the popularity of weddings in this part of Europe." Destination Portugal reports that
houseboat holidays on Alqueva Lake, Europe’s biggest inland waterway, are becoming increasingly popular.
Portugal Dynamic Packaging This is an easy option when booking
Portugal, with lots of flight-only options available and plenty of good value hotels. For a Madeira deal consider combining easyJet flights, priced from £31.99 each way (00 351 291 750 000;
www.easyJet.com) with a Charming Hotels’ golf package which includes three rounds of golf from 241 and B&B accommodation at Quinta das Vistas from £139 per night (www.
charminghotelsmadeira.com).
Above: The Pena National Palace, Sintra; Below: Handicrafts in the Algarve
Where to Book it Mass market and specialist operators
abound to mainland Portugal, Madeira and The Azores. See the ATOP website for independent Portugal specialists:
www.discoverportugal.org.uk. These include:
Sunvil Seven nights’ B&B at the Herdade do Touril country estate in the Alentejo start from £539pp, including flights and car hire. 020 8758 4722,
www.sunvil.co.uk
Atlantic Holidays tourismtalk
Miguel Perestrello UK director of the Portuguese National Tourist Office “For 2010 we are
focused on showing that Portugal offers excellent value for money. The Perfectly Priced campaign, which we are running jointly with specialist tour operators, is designed to show that Portugal is not expensive, nor cheap but excellent value for money despite being in the euro zone.
"This year's Post Office barometer
shows that Lisbon is one of the best value cities, on a par with Prague. We are also pointing out that regions like the Alentejo, the Azores and Madeira, have a lot to offer, such as nature, activities, history and touring options."
asktheoperator
Nicky Shafe marketing manager Prestige Holidays "Our bookings to the Algarve remain
steady with the Sheraton Algarve and our new property Monte da Quinta Suites selling very well for summer. We had some very good early booking and free half-board offers during the winter which helped boost sales and we will continue to offer great savings during the summer. Sheraton offers all the facilities of a five- star hotel while Monte da Quinta Suites with its children’s club and crèche suit both couples
Seven nights’ B&B at the five-star Pestana Porto Santo on Porto Santo are priced from £499pp including flights from Gatwick. 01452 381 888,
www.atlanticholidays.net
Classic Collection Holidays Three nights’ B&B at the Lapa Palace in Lisbon lead in at £687pp, with flights and transfers. 0800 008 7288,
www.classic-collection.co.uk
Who flies there TAP Air Portugal (
www.flytap.com) flies
to Lisbon, Faro, Funchal, Porto; British Airways (
www.britishairways.com) to Lisbon and Faro; easyJet (
www.easyjet.com) to Faro, Funchal and Porto; Monarch (
www.monarch.co.uk) to Faro and Lisbon; Jet2 (
www.jet2.com), Flybe (Flybe. com ) and Ryanair (
www.ryanair.com) to Faro; SATA (
www.sata.pt) to the Azores.
More Information Portuguese National Tourist Office: 11 Belgrave Square, London, SW1X 8PP; 0845 355 1212;
www.portugaloffice.org.uk www.visitportugal.com
My Portugal by Mary Anne Popoff
...
“Portugal has seven wonderful and distinct regions, each with its own unique personality. Knowledgeable agents really can help us get this message across to the consumer. As President of the Association of Tour Operators to Portugal, I am excited we now are working with Selling Short Breaks & Holidays to support the WE'RE BACKING AGENTS campaign. The campaign's Destination Dialogue event on Portugal will take place in November. Register with the campaign for full details coming soon!”
www.shortbreaksholidays.com
REGIAO DE TURISMO DO ALGARVE
ANTONIO SACHHETTI
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