On Friday, Turismo de Portugal welcomed the UK’s decision to include the country in the “green list” of low-risk destinations for contracting the Covid-19 virus, which it considered “good news for national tourism”.
“In this initial stage of the resumption of tourism activity at the international level, this is good news for national tourism, as it indicates confidence in the destination of Portugal.”The company, Turismo de Portugal, said in a statement.
British Transport Secretary Grant Shaps announced today that Portugal will be on the “green list” of countries deemed safe to travel and exempt from quarantine upon arrival in England from 17 May.
The organization indicated that Portugal is currently one of the countries in Europe with the lowest incidence of Covid-19, “A positive development has been recorded in all indicators of pandemic control, from a significant decrease in the infection rate to a very expressive successive decline in the number of active cases.”
For the president of Turismo de Portugal, Luis Araujo, “This is an important step in the recovery” of tourism and the national economy.
“Restoring mobility between countries is essential for us so that we can look to the future in a positive way, knowing that we are stronger and focused on our goal of good and safe delivery.”The official added.
In the same note, Minister of State for Tourism, Rita Marquez, affirmed that “this day marks the beginning of the revitalization of tourism in the international context.”
“Portugal and the United Kingdom have always been partner countries, as well as in the field of tourism, so we are particularly satisfied with the inclusion of Portugal as the first country in the European Union on the UK Green List. We will be ready to receive British tourists with sympathy. Normal and safer.”The official said.
Turismo de Portugal also indicated that the restoration of air communication between the two countries is gradually taking place, with the aim of restoring 700 weekly frequencies that were present in the summer of 2019 between British and national airports.
The UK is one of Portugal’s major tourism emissions markets, with 19% of non-resident overnight stays and more than € 3.3 billion in revenue, in the years preceding the pandemic.
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