By: Caroline Cunha
THOSE POLITICIANS and authorities opposing the government’s controversial Allgarve promotional campaign were given some valuable ammunition this week after it emerged a website of the same name has existed since 2004.
Dutchman Klaas Eggens, who lives in Lagoa, set up a website called Allgarve.biz back in 2004, which is a free guide to companies, services and facilities in the Algarve region. Klaas, who lives in a caravan in the countryside, says he set it up to help friends with their businesses.
He was away in Holland when the multi million euro Allgarve campaign was launched at the Algarve Convida tourism fair in Lisbon, and soon heard about it from friends and journalists on his return.
Klaas was reported to be visiting a solicitor in order to stake his claim to the name and The Resident contacted him to find out more. “My phone does not stop ringing with people wanting to talk to me about the Allgarve name and scandal. At first, I couldn’t understand what was going on. I was pressured by people into seeing a solicitor and I even had a meeting booked. People told me I should take action and make a lot of money. However, I chose to cancel the appointment,” he said.
Coincidence
“I just want a peaceful life, I don’t want to get drawn into this dispute. I think this is all a coincidence and someone just came up with the same name, which is a good one.” What Klaas did say though is that the website is up for sale and he would be happy for the national tourism authority to buy it!
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