We meet André Gomes, the new president of the Algarve Tourism Board.
André Gomes has been in his post for just four months, a period which he describes as “crazy busy!” We met at the head office of the Algarve Tourism Board (ATB) in the centre of Faro, near the main market hall. It’s a tall, impressive building, almost ‘high rise’ by Faro standards. André is warm, welcoming, casually dressed and photogenic.
The role of the president of the Algarve Tourism Board must be one of the most important in Portugal and certainly in the Algarve. It’s an elected role with a fixed term of five years plus the option of an additional five years. Previously, André was the ATB director with lead responsibility for promoting the region, so he knows the organisation and the region well. While he was born in Porto, he’s lived most of his life in Portimão.
There are two aspects to the ATB’s work and the president’s role. There’s the Algarve Tourism Association, which focuses on the promotion of the Algarve as a tourist destination and includes, amongst other things, the running of the tourist information offices and the Visit Algarve website (see www.visitalgarve.pt). Then, there’s the work that’s more focused on infrastructure and networking. This includes building partnerships with public and private organisations, applying for grants, attracting investment, attending trade fairs and influencing government (see www.turismodoalgarve.pt).
André has had quite a start to his presidency. In November, the first direct air link between the US and the Algarve was announced. It’s set to start in May 2024. ”The region is becoming more connected to the world,” said André. “The Algarve is already popular with people from the US and this development will make it easier for them to access the region.”
It’s a development which links in well with several of André’s objectives – the first being to make the Algarve more of an all-year attraction so businesses and jobs are not so dependent on summer trade. Another key aim is to bolster the reputation of the Algarve as somewhere for ‘every kind of tourist’ and not solely for those in search of sun and sand, as necessary as this aspect of tourism is.
I asked André about the potential for overcrowding – there’s been talk about the impact of tourism on the caves at Benagil. Elsewhere in the world, there has been talk of cities such as Venice seeking to control visitor numbers by levying a charge to enter the city. As far as André is concerned, it’s all about “balance and moderation”, particularly as protecting the natural environment is also a priority for André and the ATB. As for the ‘tourist tax’, he’d like to see it extended to many more municipalities and used as a means for investing back into the region.
Working with TAP Air Portugal is another key focus for the president, with a view to opening up more routes to other European destinations and more domestic flights to Lisbon and Porto, thereby helping people who live in the Algarve and need ready access to Portugal’s major cities.
The opportunities are endless. The 2030 Football World Cup will be held in Portugal, Spain and Morocco. Could the Estádio Algarve be a venue? It would undoubtedly bring in football supporters and media outlets from around the world. There are so many aspects of the region to herald, as well as the spectacular coastline. André’s long to-do list includes promoting the gastronomy of the region, its history, the golfing venues and sports complexes, and its fantastic natural landscape and wildlife.
There are so many opportunities for the incoming president, but at the same time, there is a need to protect the beauty and the heritage of the region. André Gomes has a tough job ahead of him and an important one. We wish him every success.
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