“We need to boost the value of tourism”
Economy minister, Castro Almeida, said today that Portugal needs to increase the value of tourism, and that tourists should pay more for the days they spend in this country.
Manuel Castro Almeida was speaking to Lusa at the end of a meeting of the ministers of tourism from the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), held in Dili, Timor-Leste.
“This meeting served to highlight the importance of each country preserving its identity, because today’s tourists are looking for innovative, distinctive experiences, and each of our countries must make the most of what sets it apart,” he told the state news agency.
Emphasising that more targeted forms of tourism present a better solution, Manuel Castro de Almeida argued that, in the specific case of Portugal, it is necessary to “enhance the value of tourism”.
“This means increasing its value, and increasing its value means that each tourist must pay more for the days they spend in Portugal. The result is that those working in tourism can earn better wages. This is what we aim to achieve. And those who invest in tourism can expect a sufficient return to continue investing in ever-higher quality,” he said.
Still on the subject of the CPLP meeting, Manuel Castro de Almeida highlighted that specialising each country’s tourist destinations, itineraries and routes, including the promotion of cultural and nature tourism whilst preserving local identity, was one of the main conclusions.
During his stay in Dili, which ends tomorrow (Saturday), Castro de Almeida also met (on Thursday) with the prime minister of Timor-Leste, Xanana Gusmão, with whom he discussed local government and the economic and social development of both countries.
On the same day, Manuel Castro de Almeida also signed an agreement in the tourism sector, which provides for the training of young people in Dili by Portuguese trainers, followed by the ‘sharing of those trainees’.
“Some of them will remain in their own country to help develop it, whilst others will go to Portugal to fill the labour shortages we have in this area of tourism in particular,” he explained.
It may be that Castro de Almeida’s comments receive some pushback: putting up prices further could be seen to be a poor idea given the choices holidaymakers have of other destinations. Equally, the plan to bring over “young people from East Timor to fill labour shortages” doesn’t quite gel with a future scenario of “better wages”. Labour shortages, critics might argue, are usually caused by abysmal salaries paid for demanding jobs that tend to have limited days’ off.
Source material: LUSA
