تطلب وكالات السفر أعمالًا في مطار لشبونة

Pedro Costa Ferreira was speaking at the opening ceremony of the 47th National Congress of the Portuguese Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies (APAVT), which takes place in Ponta Delgada, in the Azores.

"To do! The theme of our congress. For too long we have been surrounded by a wave of analysts and commentators, deceived by a policy of announcing measures that do not take effect, pushed into the voracity of news that does not correspond, later, to achievements".

For the president of APAVT, it is urgent to achieve "in the macroeconomy growth", at the business level "productivity and economic and financial recovery", in the tourism sector "the maintenance of economic leadership" in Portugal, and “international competitiveness".

And it is in maintaining leadership and competitiveness that travel agencies most fear risks.

"Without a glimpse of another economic sector that dynamises the country, due to the anachronistic, shameful and disabling situation of Lisbon's air accessibility. We have been following this process for more than ten years, we have good and well-founded reasons for not believing in a decision in 2023. And without a decision, obviously, we cannot believe in a solution that will be implemented in the coming years", said Pedro Costa Ferreira.

Thus, APAVT says that it only remains for them to "demand that they do what at the moment still seems possible to do, which are the works at Portela airport, allowing to improve the operability and efficiency of this infrastructure".

"Political gentlemen, simply let the works advance. They will not avoid the shame, which has been attached to all those who contributed to the current situation, but at least they will mitigate the consequences of this process, which is as tragic as it is ridiculous".