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Government postpones Algarve tourism promotion in the UK
• 17 May 2007 •
 JUST a few days after Madeleine McCann’s disappearance from a resort at Praia da Luz, the government has announced its decision to postpone the presentation of the 3,000,000-euro “Allgarve” campaign which was scheduled to take place at London’s Royal College of Art, followed by an “Allgarve Nikki Beach party” at a local night-club.
To attract more media coverage, the organisers of the presentation, which aims to promote the Algarve’s tourism in the UK, had announced the presence of Jose Mourinho and Cristiano Ronaldo, who were scheduled to speak at the event about their country and in particular about the Algarve as their favourite holiday destination.
The decision to cancel the event, made by tourism authorities in Lisbon, has been vehemently criticised by the Algarve Tourism Board, the RTA, who said it was a mistake, as Madeleine’s disappearance had nothing to do with a lack of safety or security in the region.
RTA Vice-President Jose Dias said that although he respects the government’s decision, he doesn’t agree with it. “We believe it is a mistake. The decision to cancel the presentation at this moment, could be interpreted as if we were admitting that we are guilty of something,” he said, adding that the presence of the British media at an event related to the Algarve’s tourism industry in London would be a good opportunity to explain some of the doubts about safety in the region, as well as to reinforce the appeals for the safe return of Madeleine McCann.
Secretary of State for Tourism Bernardo Trindade confirmed that the presentation of the “Allgarve” brand scheduled for May 16 was cancelled due to the disappearance of Madeleine, adding that the event will be re-scheduled at a later date.
Defending the decision to suspend the campaign, Economy Minister Manuel Pinho said: “It would be in terribly bad taste.” However, he added: “I believe that Portugal will maintain its status as one of the safest tourist destinations in Europe.” |  Return to Top
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