60% of Portugal’s discotheques ‘haven’t made it’

With the green-light given to the reopening of discotheques from next Friday (October 1), the harsh reality is that 60% of businesses haven’t survived the enforced closure of the last 19 months. They have gone bust, João Gouveia – president of the national discotheques association – explains. Bit by bit it is becoming clear that simply announcing the lifting of pandemic-led restrictions won’t be enough for the country’s battered hospitality sector: it needs more government support, says AHRESP, the national association representing catering establishments.