‘Tourism linking cultures’ is the theme for the celebrations of World Tourism Day this year, which the region’s hotels and tourist resorts association (AHETA) is embracing in the Algarve.
World Tourism Day has been held on September 27 each year since 1980 and is organised by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).
The day is used by the industry around the world to raise awareness about the role of tourism on a global level and to show how tourism affects cultural, social, political and economic values around the world.
For AHETA, the importance of World Tourism Day is to raise the recognition andimportance of tourism within Portugal and the Algarve.
A spokesman for AHETA said: “As far as we are concerned not only do we need tourism to be recognised for its strategic and pivotal role in Portugal and the Algarve, we also want it to be acknowledged the new economic issues that are currently facing the industry.
“We need the level of competiveness within the tourism industry to be restored by defining and implementing strategic actions that are designed to respond to the new demands of both residents and tourists.”
AHETA also calls on the government to consider all the different aspects that are involved in tourism before creating new administrative frameworks.
“We need a new legal and administrative framework capable of facilitating the operations of private agents, particularly in regard to taxations, health and safety issues and land management and we are looking for less bureaucracy in these areas,” said the spokesman
“Also needed is an appropriate marketing plan that encourages the business sector to implement competitive strategies that are able to create wealth for more people.”
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