By: CECÍLIA PIRES
FOLLOWING ELECTIONS to the new regional tourism authority for the Algarve on Monday, António Pina said that he is “realistic but also positive” about the impact of the current international crisis on the local tourism industry.
António Pina was re-elected for a four year term as president of Entidade Regional de Turismo do Algarve (ERTA), which replaces the former Algarve Tourism Board (RTA).
The main priority for the next four years, he said, will remain a rigorous budget “so that more money can go to the promotional activities of the ERTA”.
In this new term, he aims to repeat the activities plan carried out this year, although “with some changes only where we find they are required”, he said.
With an annual budget of around six million euros for 2009, the ERTA president is also planning to use more digital tools to promote the region.
Parallel to the general campaign, he said “we will create specific campaigns for specific consumers”.
After being the RTA president for almost two years, António Pina is now leading the region’s promotional activities but in a more adverse financial climate.
Realistic
Although realistic about the international crisis, he believes that “hope and ambition” must lead the way.
The new authority was created in April following the reorganisation of the tourism sector introduced by a new law that replaced all the existing tourism boards with more representative organisations.
Monday’s elections also saw the selection of a new president of the new general assembly of the ERTA.
This new assembly is represented by all the business associations active in the region, all the local councils and the regional development commission (CCDR), the union’s confederations, several regional boards representing public services and the Algarve University.
Elidérico Viegas, who is also president of the regional association of hotels and tourism developments, Associação dos Hotéis e Empreendimentos Turisticos do Algarve (AHETA), was elected to preside over the general assembly and will work in association with António Pina to upgrade the quality of tourism on offer in the region.
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