An official statement released by Luis Araujo – President of the national tourism board Turismo de Portugal.
20th August 2020: In light of the news breaking on 20th August 2020, in which Portugal was added to a travel corridor between the United Kingdom thus removing the madantory requirement for visitors to quarantine upon return, an official statement has been issued by Mr. Luis Araújo, President of Turismo de Portugal.
“We are delighted to have the UK government confirmation for Portugal’s inclusion in an air bridge arrangement to prevent mandatory quarantine upon return to the United Kingdom. For quite some time now tourism and government officials have consistently maintained our unwavering confidence in the safety of Portugal as a result of a thoroughly efficient and effective multi-sector strategy to contain the virus as early as possible and the implementation of concise measures and infrastructure with the capacity to prepare the tourism sector for a safe reopening. We are now delighted to have arrived at a decision which we feel far better reflects the reality of the situation in Portugal.”
Since May, Portugal has been considered an example in leading the fight against Covid-19, namely as a result of the extensive testing, which ranks in the top 10 highest European nations to test over 1 million people, with more than 1.8 million tests completed and rising. From then until now, all indicators have evolved favorably, with the number of active cases decreasing on linearly.
The feeling of safety in Portugal is enhanced by the fact UEFA opted to choose the nation to host the latter stages of the Champions League, with professional teams from across Europe competing for the pinnacle prize in club football, here in Portugal.
We have been immensely proud to have hosted this tournament as well as the Algarve being chosen to host the Formula 1 and MOTO GP later this year, and this further points towards the superb example set by Portugal throughout this pandemic and the confidence in the safety of the country. Portugal has 4 of the 21 most safest destinations for this summer with Madeira, Azores islands, Alentejo and Algarve having been selected by the European Best Destinations for 2020 summer within Europe.
Reported today (20th August), just two deaths and 154 new cases have been identified in Portugal from an entire population exceeding 10.2 million people. Whilst we cannot undermine our sincerest condolences to the families and friends of those who have lost loved ones, this figure is evidence of the thoroughly improved situation and feeling of control.
Beyond this, the expansion of the Clean & Safe seal to include the whole tourism value chain with over 21,000 businesses registered and more than 22,000 professionals trained is another layer of the trust and transparency strategy which Portugal has been implementing to manage the pandemic.
Portugal has been welcoming guests from the United Kingdom since the beginning of July, therefore this is not the case of a country just opening its doors after battling the worst of the pandemic, but the case of a destination which has been operating with the capacity for international visitors for some time now following effective early action in the battle against the virus. We have tourists in Portugal already who are enjoying themselves safely and responsibly.
Portugal has open borders, open tourism activities, and is ready to welcome tourists in all regions, now without the need for a mandatory quarantine upon return to the United Kingdom
With the resumption of air connectivity being made, there is an expectation of short-term recovery of air routes of about 60% in September. At this moment, Portugal already has global air connectivity to over 81 cities with 29 airlines assuring international flights to Portugal’s five airports.
The people of the United Kingdom have celebrated our culture, traditions, landmarks, and history for decades, by our side, forming the primary source of inbound visitors for many regions in Portugal. While this has been a period which nobody will ever forget, a period of time which has left behind a trail of destruction, sorrow, and pain – we are so thankful to be able to open our arms, even wider than before, to the people of the United Kingdom. Portugal cannot wait to welcome you.
About Turismo de Portugal
Integrated in the Ministry of Economy and Digital Transition, Turismo de Portugal is the National Tourism Authority responsible for the promotion, enhancement and sustainability of the tourism sector. It brings together in a single entity all the institutional skills related to boosting tourism, from supply to demand. With a privileged relationship with other public entities and economic agents, in Portugal and abroad, Turismo de Portugal is committed to fulfilling the goal of strengthening tourism as one of the pillars of the growth of the Portuguese economy.
About VisitPortugal
VisitPortugal is the official website for Portugal as a tourist destination, and is developed by Turismo de Portugal I.P., the national tourist board. Info: visitportugal.com
