Tourism boss fears post-Brexit airport chaos

The Portuguese Tourism Confederation boss told Portugal’s president of his concern about Brexit, in particular the processing problems that may be encountered when UK visitors fly in to Faro airport.

After a meeting with Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the head of the Portuguese Tourism Confederation, Francisco Calheiros, said that, in the absence of an agreement to leave the EC, leading to a ‘hard Brexit’, the government’s “proposed measures* will not solve the problem of more than one million Britons entering Portugal with the status of third-country nationals, this means more border control.”

Calheiros said it was “fundamental and obligatory” to create special corridors for the British, but recalled the “very serious problems” at Lisbon Airport caused by the lack of SEF staff.

At Lisbon’s airport, “There are 16 SEF booths, the problem is that there are only three or four open. Sometimes it is not enough just to define the rules, they have to be implemented and fulfilled,” said Calheiros, adding that with no back up staff, “500 to 600 people end up queuing and the the situation is getting worse.”

As for numbers; to 2016 British tourism grew between 8% and 10% annually; in 2017 there was no growth and in 2018, “the British were already down 9%,” recalled Calheiros, adding that after the March 29th Brexit deadline, “there is only uncertainty.”

The British market is the “number one for Portugal and is extraordinarily concentrated in the Algarve and Madeira. In the southernmost part of the country there are about 16 million overnight stays by foreigners, of which six million stays are by Britons,” Calheiros added.

“We are talking about more than one million British people going to the Algarve every year. If we do not have an agreed exit, if tomorrow the British market is considered as a foreign, non-EU country, I do not want to think about what will happen to Britons trying to get past the SEF control.”

* Government plans are outlined in this message from the Portuguese Tourist Board

Following the uncertainty and the threat of a no-deal BREXIT, the Portuguese Government has prepared a contingency plan to avoid, as far as possible, disruption for British travellers to our country.

This plan includes the following measures:

•Visa exemption (trips up to 90 days)
•Dedicated passport control areas/lanes for UK flights
•Possibility of mutual recognition of driving licenses
•Use of the Portuguese National Health Service
•Validity of UK travel insurance policies
•Provide simplified requirements for UK nationals´ pets
•Similar passenger security taxes

We take the opportunity to inform you that in addition to the measures mentioned above, Turismo de Portugal is planning a major marketing campaign in the UK to show the British public that they are welcome in Portugal.

Portugal will continue to welcome British tourists!