2020 news has been dominated with the virus, restriction of movement, erosion of freedom and civil liberties previously taken for granted, loss of livelihoods and unemployment. Yet whilst this all sounds doom and gloom I believe in the Algarve we have been particularly blessed.

The number of deaths in the Algarve has been 62 with the majority being over 80 years of age representing 0.001% of the population here. Whilst any death is a tragedy this percentage is so infinitesimally small as to render it statistically meaningless in my view. Of course the virus is a serious global phenomenon so we are blessed the Portuguese government and the local authorities in the Algarve have handled the situation superbly.
Here at The Portugal News we have handled the coverage of the virus in a balanced and informative manner. We have tried to be as constructive as the situation allows and have not resorted to sensationalism and scare mongering tactics unlike some other news outlets worldwide.

That brings me to the ethos and values of The Portugal News. I took over the paper in September with the view to taking a positive stance on news reporting in the Algarve in particular and Portugal in general. The Portugal News is an integral part of the local community reaching approximately 50,000 each week in print and near 1 million viewers online each month.

With these large numbers comes responsibility to providing accurate and meaningful information to the local expat community, potential and returning visitors, and to incumbent businesses too.

This covers all nationalities and at The Portugal News we are extremely proud to provide news online in German, Dutch, Spanish, French, Italian and Swedish so all nationalities irrespective of language limitations know what is going on in our community. We believe we are the first national newspaper in the world to provide such an innovative service.

To be positive in our community we have introduced a Good News Section, a Charity Section, a Green Section, a Renature Section and a number of other Sections to support the community and highlight developments within the community.
Also we make no apology for promoting how wonderful the Algarve and Portugal generally is to live in, to visit here and to do business here.

As a relatively new resident I can attest to how fantastic it is to live and visit here. The weather is superb, the people are super friendly, the natural beauty is breath taking and the food, mostly locally sourced, is excellent. Then there are the health benefits of living in such a clement climate with such clean air. To me it truly is a paradise.

Doing business is extremely easy and there is a “can do” attitude with other businesses and local government. Yes, like any country there are some bureaucratic hurdles but generally new businesses are welcomed on the Algarve and Portugal with open arms. At The Portugal News with our large reach in country and abroad we like to see ourselves as the Marketing Department of the Algarve, helping all businesses that wish to promote their business.

For 2021 The Portugal News has exciting new plans to further enhance our offerings to our readers both in print and online. Businesses too will benefit from our new marketing approaches should they want to.
It leaves me now to wish you all our dear readers a Merry, Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year. Todos Juntos!

Author

An experienced entrepreneur with specialist unique skills in online marketing. Involved in many industries over the years including, large music festivals, property developments, telecoms, fashion and renewables. Having lived in a number of countries prior to moving to Portugal, now considers Portugal as home.

Richard Clingen