Owners fight back against “unprecedented attack on sector”
Alojamento Local (AL) property owners have planned another protest for today in Lisbon in front of Parliament, where a final vote will be carried out on the proposed changes to the AL sector which they say will have “devastating effects.”
The goal of the demonstration is “to raise awareness of the devastating effects that the disproportionate measures of the ‘Mais Habitação’ package will have on approximately 60,000 families who depend on the AL sector, on national tourism (as 40% of tourist stays are a result of the AL sector), and on the economy itself (as the expenses of tourists who stayed at AL properties sector represent 3.8% of GDP).”
“At this crucial moment when the proposed measures will be voted on, after months of relentless struggle without flexibility from the government to find a balance, the presence of hundreds of AL professionals from across the country once again demonstrates the strength and unity of the sector. This is a fight for rights that will be taken to the end, contesting the abusive policies that undermine, without any grounds, the sector responsible for a significant part of the tourism’s success in recent years,” says the ‘Não Matem o Alojamento Local’ (Do Not Kill Alojamento Local) group.
“These measures are extremely harmful to the AL sector. It is an unprecedented attack on a sector that makes the activity unbearable for many operators and does not solve the housing problem at all,” it adds.
This week, the Resident spoke with Eduardo Miranda, president of the Alojamento Local em Portugal (ALEP) association, who has also warned of the “destructive” nature of the holiday rental changes and that the biggest impact will be felt in the Algarve.
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