Tourism boss highlights impact of MotoGP race
This weekend’s MotoGP Portuguese Grand Prix is expected to generate around €80 million for the Algarve economy, the regional tourism chief has said.
According to André Gomes, the economic estimate for this year “is identical to last year’s, which had an overall impact of more than €79 million”, including direct and indirect revenue.
The MotoGP Portuguese Grand Prix, the second round of the World Championship, takes place between Friday and Sunday (March 22-24) at the Algarve International Autodrome (AIA) in Portimão, where around 180,000 spectators are expected throughout the weekend, according to the event’s organisers.
For the president of the Algarve Tourism Region (RTA), the race “is extremely important for boosting the regional economy and for the international projection of the Algarve destination”.
Last March was the “best ever in terms of hotel occupancy,” Gomes said, stressing that occupancy levels increased 11% compared to March 2019 and 14% compared to March 2022.
“It’s a competition that takes place during the low season, contributing to the dynamics of the business fabric and the hotel industry, which is almost at full capacity at the moment,” he pointed out.
According to André Gomes, the combination of the MotoGP and Easter dates “ends up contributing to a longer stay” by tourists during this period, “with many people travelling to the Algarve early to watch the race”.
“As well as tourists, events of this size attract thousands of people, including fans, members of the participating teams and the organisation,” he added.
Meanwhile, the racetrack’s head honcho Paulo Pinheiro has told Lusa that around 180,000 spectators are expected during the four days of the event, 50,000 more than during the three days last year.
“This year we start on Thursday with the ‘pit walk’ and we have the debut of the MotoE World Championship, a competition exclusively for electric motorbikes,” he explained.
According to Paulo Pinheiro, the Portuguese Grand Prix “is going to be more complete and comprehensive, with several attractions, such as a motorbike and helmet raffle at the end of the race, and an invasion of the track so that the fans can share the race and be closer to the riders”.
“This year there are a number of initiatives, such as the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the city of Portimão, the 75th anniversary of MotoGP and the 15th anniversary of the autodrome,” he noted.
The MotoGP Portuguese Grand Prix also has the participation of the Portuguese Navy and Air Force, with exhibitions by these branches of the Armed Forces outside the Algarve circuit, where visitors can see an amphibious vehicle and an Alpha-Jet subsonic fighter-bomber aircraft.
Source: LUSA
