The Algarve’s popular summer tourist destination Portugal is facing one of the worst droughts in many years.
This is actually the case in most of Europe, as European Union countries have suffered forest fires and even scaled back tourism due to the lack of available water.
Recently, officials from Portugal Tourism and Algarve Tourism launched a campaign to educate travelers to the region about the extreme drought and the simple proactive steps they can take to make a difference while enjoying a holiday destination in the environment.
Call for salvation
Portuguese Secretary of State for Tourism Pedro Machado; Tourism of Portugal Member of the Board of Directors Lídia Monteiro; the President of Tourism in the Algarve, André Gomes; and Chloé Lapeyre, Chief Operational Officer of Portugal’s Airports all recently met in Faro to launch the tourism awareness initiative.
The initiative aims to inform travelers arriving at the Algarve region’s main airport in Faro about the drought in the area and the need to save water, even among travellers.
The initiative is in line with the current trend in leisure travel towards sustainability and reducing concerns about overtourism across Europe.
Informing travelers at Faro Airport
Research shows that tourists, even with minimal effort during a holiday in the Algarve, can have a significant impact on the conservation and sustainability initiatives needed due to the severe drought.
If only they were aware of the situation, most officials believe that tourists could reduce their water consumption by up to 40 liters per day. On an average six-day holiday in the Algarve, this can amount to around 235 litres.
To drive that home with travelers, local and national tourism officials went to Faro airport to educate tourists.
Advertisements have now been placed around the airport to inform visitors to the Algarve about the need to save water and the important role they can play.
Suitcases full of water
Recent passengers from Dublin, waiting for their suitcases on the baggage carousel, were surprised by six strange suitcases mixed in with their luggage from the plane.
There were six clear suitcases filled with seawater, each with a message about the drought and the need to save money during a holiday in the Algarve.
The point of the six suitcases was that they were each filled with 40 liters of water and represented the initiative to save 235 liters of water while enjoying their time in the sun and sand of the Algarve.
According to a news report, some tourists were surprised by the initiative and stated that they did not know that the Algarve was facing a water crisis.
Others took the opportunity to save water after seeing the suitcases filled with seawater along with their luggage on the conveyor belt.
What visitors need to know
The initiative is still in its infancy, but so far more than 110 of the Algarve’s 600 tourism businesses have joined the ‘save water’ initiative.
The good news is that travellers’ efforts appear to be having a significant sustainable travel impact in the Algarve. Officials report that early in the program there has been a reduction in water use of more than 12 percent.
What simple steps can travelers in the Algarve take to save water? Pass on requests for water in restaurants. Turn off the tap when you brush your teeth. Cut the time you spend in the shower in half or even turn off the water while soaping up.
Small things can make a big difference and at the same time contribute to sustainable travel in the Algarve.
