Entries by Luis

Accessing Portugal during a global pandemic

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Coronavirus, as everyone knows, has changed the world. Economic impact the likes of which have never been seen before. Unprecedented restrictions on travel. Suddenly, a world that had appeared so small, now seems just a little more difficult to criss-cross. For those in North America, chomping at the bit to get to Europe, these are […]

Solidarity post-Covid: paying fair price for accommodation

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The post-lockdown period is starting to show up the tensions between supply and demand in traditional tourist markets. This short article explores how important it is for smaller countries such as Portugal to resist deflationary pressures and the tendency to deep discount. How can a nation so in need of income get its tourists to […]

Covid-19 and the impact on Southern European tourism: Portugal as a case study

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The tourism industry was the first sector to be affected by the measures implemented as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. The effects were immediate and dramatic. The EU’s commission for economy declared on May 5th that the bloc had entered the deepest economic recession in its history. Southern European countries are particularly susceptible to […]

Treating the tourism ecosystem fairly in a time of crisis

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THE TIMES IN WHICH WE LIVE We live in absolutely unprecedented times. Never has the world known a hidden killer that has kept billions of people indoors, truncated economic activity and sparked such a spike in volunteerism. Any analysis of the effect of the Coronavirus pandemic places Travel and Tourism at the top of the […]

Changes to the Golden Visa and Non Habitual resident programmes

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THE SUCCESS OF THE GOLDEN VISA PROGRAMME Golden Visa investments represent more than €4 billion into the Portuguese economy. This influx of capital has a direct correlation to the massive inflation in house prices in areas such as Lisbon and Porto, where the majority of the GV investment is concentrated. The Golden Visa program in […]

South Africa: will the Rugby World Cup stem retiree departures?

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As someone who grew up in South Africa, I watched with anticipation and some sense of pride as the Springboks or the “Bokke”, pulled off a great victory to take the trophy home. But the naturally ebullient and optimistic feeling after a victory of such proportions was short-lived. The victory would, knowing the way the […]

Long-term rentals: The future of the rental market in Portugal?

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LONG-TERM RENTALS: THE FUTURE OF THE RENTAL MARKET IN PORTUGAL? As recently as two years ago, it was unquestionable that Portugal provided Europe’s best investment destination. A growing economy, falling unemployment, a recovering real estate market, an investment surge in real estate driven primarily by the very successful Golden Visa program, a wave of (mostly) […]

Budget & Info – ORL – Live Like a King for Less

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Live Like A King For Less – Budget Comparisons The cost of living in Portugal is generally among the lowest in Western Europe. Some items, such as fuel (around €1.30/ liter or about US$5/gallon), electricity, second hand cars (Ford Focus 2012 diesel between €12,000 and €20,000, Audi A4 Avant diesel starting at €40,000) and electronic […]

ORL – Making The Right Property Choice

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Making The Right Property Choice Start With A Rental The Algarve is a popular summer rental market. A range of options exist in both municipalities. Long-term rentals represent a small percentage of the total rental market and private apartment and villa rentals, whose owners often only place properties on the market as an afterthought following […]