Algarve bigwigs are celebrating the new Faro-New York/Newark air link
Tourism and hotel leaders in the Algarve have celebrated the announcement of a new direct air link between the Algarve and the United States of America, which will be operated by United Airlines starting next year.
“This is excellent news for the region and a very relevant milestone that opens a new chapter of opportunities for Algarve tourism,” said André Gomes, President of the Região de Turismo do Algarve (Algarve Tourism Region).
“Throughout the entire negotiation process, United Airlines has consistently shown interest and great enthusiasm for taking this step and becoming a pioneer in connecting the United States and the Algarve. In recent times, the curiosity of the North American market regarding the Algarve has grown significantly, and this new route with such a substantial number of connections demonstrates the full potential of our destination,” he added.
The Association of Algarve Hotels and Tourist Developments (AHETA) has also praised the creation of the new route, which will link Faro to New York/Newark, saying that a direct air link to the USA has always been one of its goals.
“This is a good example of the collaborative work of all industry players, with special mention going to Faro Airport, Tourism Portugal, and ATA, who saw their efforts rewarded,” the association said in a statement.
“When we add to this the Ponta Delgada/Faro connection, also to be operated starting next spring by SATA, allowing the connection of Faro to the Azorean airport, which has air links to many destinations in Canada and the United States, we are confident that the recent increases in the number of tourists from those two destinations to our region, observed in recent months, will be significantly boosted,” AHETA added.
Meanwhile, Carlos Abade, President of national tourism authority Turismo de Portugal, said the new Faro-New York/Newark air link is “the result of collaborative efforts between Turismo de Portugal, RTA, and ANA – Faro Airport, aimed at making travel for American tourists to a region they highly value, the Algarve, simpler and more attractive.”
Alda Filipe, Sales and Marketing Director at Kronos Homes, which owns and operates the Algarve’s Palmares Ocean Living & Golf, has also celebrated the new route.
“The new Faro to New York route will open up the Algarve to US visitors like never before. This is excellent news not just for holidaymakers but also for anyone considering buying a second home in the Portuguese sunshine. It’s great news for the Algarve as well, with even more visitors now able to discover our incredible scenery, cuisine and relaxed pace of life.
“The Algarve is known as the ‘California of Europe’ and already has some close ties with the US,” said Alda Filipe, adding that “we look forward to welcoming even more visitors from the US when the new route launches”.
Bruce Hawker, CEO of Open Media who is the organiser of the popular ‘Living in the Algarve’ events in Portugal and the ‘Living in Portugal’ events in the USA and elsewhere, also welcomed the news: “At our events here in the Algarve, between 30 and 40% of attendees over the last year have been US citizens. We also took our seminar event concept to the USA with two successful roadshows already held this year taking in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York.
“I was very pleased to see that the new flight is being operated by a major US airline and Newark airport works well as a hub, meaning that people from other parts of the states can easily fly in with United and connect to Faro.”
