Measures “tarnish image of tourism in general”
‘Benagil Cave – Evolution or Regression’ is the theme of a debate to be held in Albufeira next Wednesday (February 7).
Organised by APECATE (the Portuguese association of congress, tourist entertainment and events companies), the event will be open to members of the association interested in discussing or requesting more information on the proposals pitched by the working group created by the government to tackle overcrowding at Benagil Cave in Lagoa.
The event will begin at 4pm at the auditorium of the Algarve Hoteliers Association (AHETA) in Albufeira.
APECATE is among the entities that make up the Benagil Cave working group that last week revealed its first report, which is under public consultation until February 21.
According to the association, there are “fundamental issues” in the report with which it disagrees. Chief among them are “measures aimed solely at administrative control, without practical applicability, and therefore, inefficient in terms of solving real problems,” says the association, adding that these measures will also “tarnish the image of the maritime-tourism sector and tourism in general.”
APECATE also says that the report speaks of a “decrease in safety levels and an increase in accidents resulting from the current legislative framework.
“However, by analysing the data from GAMA (Maritime Accident Investigation Office and the Aeronautical Meteorology Authority), it is easy to understand that, since 2014 (the start of the current legislation), three maritime accidents have occurred in the Algarve (in 2017, 2018, and 2023), and none would have been avoided by resorting to the previous licensing regime. Therefore, the legislative change did not result in an increase in accidents or a reduction in safety levels, quite the opposite,” the association claims.
APECATE adds that it has already informed the competent authorities of its opposition and reiterated its availability to present solutions, some of which it hopes will come during the upcoming debate.
