The President of the Regional Government expects to reopen trade next week, but points out that this process, as well as the reduction in the financing “must be gradual”. Miguel Albuquerque is the first speaker at the first ‘Thinking the Future’ conference, organized by DIÁRIO and also attended by the Mayor of Funchal, Miguel Silva Gouveia, the President of the Sousa Group, Luís Miguel de Sousa and the CEO of the Pestana Group, José Theotónio.
“What we want to be after this shock” is the objective of these 12 conferences, which are held every two weeks, as stated by DIÁRIO’s director, Ricardo Oliveira, at the opening of the conference.
Miguel Albuquerque started by ensuring that the objective is to open commerce, as early as next week, but the reopening of tourist activities, which depend, above all, on the operation of the airport, is also under study.
The president of the government informed that the ways in which hotel units will be opened are being studied, with rules for reducing occupancy, but, above all, the conditions that are being studied, worldwide, for the operation of airlines.
Albuquerque considers it essential to ensure that people who travel are properly controlled with regard to covid-19 infection.
Madeira, he stresses, must remain a destination of quality but, “also, a destination with a low rate of infection”.
The markets that emit tourism, a sector that represents 110 million euros per month for the Region, are conditioned and Albuquerque also highlights the importance of Madeirans betting on “holidays here”.