A warning has been issued against "booze tourism" in the Algarve after a car rammed into crowds in Albufeira. Hélder Martins, president of the Algarve Hotels and Tourism Enterprises Association (AHETA), said there should be renewed discussions over "what type of tourism" the region wants to attract following the incident, which left 16 injured.
Tourism image under scrutiny
Mr Martins told Rádio Renascença: "I don’t believe this will be a major blow to the destination’s image of safety, because overall the Algarve is seen as safe and as a family destination. For a significant part of the year, we have booze tourism, we have stag-party tourism, which are among those that give the destination its worst image."
He said most people in the tourism sector don't want the region to become known for so-called booze tourism, though acknowledged that it can generate significant revenue. He pointed to areas such as Ibiza and Magaluf, which have taken measures to curb excessive drinking and the unruly nightlife scene, suggesting the Algarve should do the same.
Calls for action
Mr Martins added: "We have to decide whether we want this tourism or not. I have absolutely no doubt that most of our members don’t. This isn’t the tourism we want."
He continued: "There are people who by 10 in the morning have already made €2,000 or €3,000 in beer sales, and that is a reality. But it cannot spread across the Algarve because these are not the types of tourists that the Algarve needs. What we need to do is stop having a tourism product where you can drink 24 hours a day, walk around drunk and do whatever you want."
Mr Martins called for an increased police presence for the whole year to help deter disorder and drug dealing.
Incident details
This comes after at least 16 people were injured, including two National Republican Guard (GNR) officers, after a car rammed through crowds in Albufeira’s Oura district, known for its nightlife. A 35-year-old driver allegedly ignored police orders to stop and drove towards pedestrians on Rua Francisco Sá Carneiro shortly after 3am, leaving two of the victims seriously injured.
The GNR said the driver's blood alcohol level was 1.29g/l. He was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault, drink-driving and dangerous driving. The circumstances of the incident remain under investigation, with Albufeira mayor Rui Cristina insisting the case is an "isolated incident".
