Eduardo Jesus once again rejects excessive tourism in Madeira

Tobi Hughes·
Madeira News

The regional secretary for Economy, Tourism and Culture today once again rejected the idea that the Autonomous Region of Madeira currently has an excess of tourism.

Eduardo Jesus, on the sidelines of the tourism merit awards ceremony, which took place this morning at the Convento de Santa Clara, in Funchal, said he did not subscribe to “this logic of thinking that we have too much tourism”, demanding justification for these premises.

“Madeira does not have too much tourism, Madeira does not have tourist pressure, we are a very long way from the territories that are experiencing this phenomenon”, stressed the minister, maintaining that “the facts are completely regulated by the World Tourism Organization to assess the tourist pressure in the territory”, says Eduardo Jesus. “It is taking the overnight stays and dividing them by the residents, and taking the tourist flow and dividing them by the square kilometers of the Region”, detailed the regional secretary, stressing that “what we find out here and compare with other tourist destinations, we realize that we are an endless distance away”, he argues.

Along these lines, he states that “we have great opportunities for other sectors to grow”.

From Diário Notícias

 

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Tobi Hughes

16 Responses

  1. Your kidding ! There’s too may tourists
    It’s like a mini disney
    Everything overcrowded , no access to the natural wonders without guides
    Too much hotel development , air and b etc
    We have a home here for 17 years and now looking that it may be time to sell up from our beloved Madeira

    Reply

    1. … I can’t believe you’ve been here 17 years and haven’t found the many many beautiful places that are easy to access and are way off the tourists radar ,, I’ve been here just under 5 years (don’t drive) and know loads of fantastic places where I barely see a tourist all day if at all …

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  2. As the old saying goes “there are lies, damn lies and then there are statistics”. Dividing the entire population of the island and the entire area of the island by the number of tourists is simply playing with numbers. Try applying the numbers just to the population of Funchal and only to the area of the city centre, against the numbers of tourists (including the daytrippers off cruise ships) and you would get a totally different result.

    Reply

  3. Hi Frank and Michael I agree with both of you.Mass tourism has a negative impact on home values.For example we have been marketing a large estate in Funchal for the last few years which is located close to the motorway .In last two years potential buyers just walk way as soon as they get to the entertainment pool area ,the motorway noise is just unbearable.

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  4. The nightmare list of ‘what not to do’ grows ever longer! We are nearly saturated at many of the tourist spots. Today I took some friends to walk at Rabacal, on the way up from Calheta the ‘stop’ for the tunel was crazy with very long coaches parked on the incorrect side of the road. Got to the top which was pandemonium so aborted Lev. Risco and went on to Fanal which was also nearing saturation but once parked we managed some relax time [It seems that the ‘Fanal’ tourist is a gentle breed wanting to enjoy the quiet solitude] and there was enough space. Too many places are just not comfortable anymore they are over subscribed! The Government sees only income from tourists and ‘in-comemers’ without thought for infrastructure…invest the money in infrastructure before it’s too late. Before long there will not be the people to buy all the housing being built, what then? The Goose will have finally died and become extinct. I have found a few walks and unexpected treasures that attracted me to Madeira years ago, I won’t advertise them lest they get spoiled.

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  5. Edie is just quoting statistiks that measure quantity.
    What development would the measure tourist quality using e.g. “Euros per day spent (hotel, car rental, dining, shopping, …) per tourist” show? I presume, not an improvement.

    Reply

  6. I agree with all the negative comments.

    The Tourism Department has completely dismissed the will of locals in favour of their own interests.

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    1. The will of the locals is shown by the way they vote. It seems the majority are satisfied with the present situation. Therefore the Tourism Department are carrying out the will of the majority. My usual question at the end of any comments on excessive tourism, what do you propose as an alternative employment source?

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      1. but the “majority” did not vote for the current regional government! They only cling to power by unpopular coalitions and unwritten agreement with the right-wing populist party that has grown in strength on the back of dissatisfaction with the party that has ruled unchallenged since 1976! Also the abstention rate at the last election almost topped 50%, hardly a vote of confidence in any party!

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        1. You hit the nail on the head, politicians are in it for what they can get out of it…most of the locals are not ‘politically minded’ It’s the same the world over. The more tourists the more they make, not the ordinary locals who struggle in lower paid jobs [and without them the industry would fail] On Friday Rabacal was a nightmare and it will get worse until suddenly the ‘valued tourist’ will get fed up and move on, leaving no more than an overpriced Benidorm.

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        2. Your reply is an opinion, well explained. But like the politicians who complain of excessive tourism, you don’t answer my question, how do you replace the income?

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          1. George, quite correctly as you say, Michael didn’t answer your question. There is no easy answer, if prices increase the valuable tourist will still come, there will be less of them but they will come. Sadly Madeira is being marketed as a ‘cheap’ destination and that does it no favours. From the point of the governing party, it was noted recently in the UK that people voted Labour not because they thought they would get the better deal but that they were fed up with Conservative rule! Here it is a case of ‘better the devil you know’ where there is a politician there will always be an under the counter deal [the world over].

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            1. Pete, I don’t think Madeira is being marketed as a cheap destination, I think it’s more that people have had enough of the Costas and Balearics and are looking for new experiences. Almost all the first timers I speak to can’t understand why they haven’t been before and I have never found one who has said they wouldn’t return. They enthuse about the scenery, the people, the hospitality and the complaints that we read of here, overcrowding, the bus services, druggies and the homeless doesn’t seem to faze them.
              As to UK and Madeiran Governments, you’re right.

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  7. Really, Senhor Jesus is using the calculation key of the World Tourism Organization …?
    The square kilometres he is referring to are inaccesible mountains, steep coastline etc

    Reply

  8. Many people are claiming here that, without the huge increase in numbers of tourists over the last few years, there would be a problem of where do locals find employment?
    In the past many Madeirans had to leave the island, due to of lack of opportunities here, to work in hotels, say in the Channel islands, (which used to advertise in Madeiran newspapers say for jobs in specific hotels on Jersey).
    Hotels and restaurants on Madeira are themselves now having to recruit from places like Nepal for staff to fill the vacancies they have for, cleaners, cooks, drivers etc. simply because local demand now exceeds supply!
    Hotels on Madeira have for years always paid the minimum salaries for working the most anti social hours (often two shifts spanning more than twelve hours and six day per week), whilst avoiding the legal requirements to give their employees any job security. This was done through the practice of employing people on eleven month contracts, which they only offer to renew if the person agrees to waive any rights to claim continuous multiple years employment. Many people were forced to worked multiple years, but on annual renewable contracts, preventing them from seeking any redundancy rights etc.
    The hotels have over many years gained a terrible reputation for exploiting staff, assuming they could always replace anyone, if they started to complain. The situation is now the complete opposite. Staff shortages mean both hotels and restaurants that should be willing to pay more and provide better terms and conditions for Madeiran staff, prefer to recruit from overseas than pay the locals more.
    The result is this increase in tourism has not made any improvement to the lives of the locals, who still seek work overseas in places like, Luxemburg, Switzerland, Austria and Germany, where they are paid considerably more, have better working conditions and better future prospects.
    The only people who are profiting from the increased tourism are the hotel and restaurant owners,

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  9. Michael, You are right in much that you say but I’m told by the Madeiran waiters and restaurant owners that I’ve used for many years that the problem is the Madeiran youngsters don’t want the hospitality industry. Twice last year I was introduced to two couples, both, on their first day at the restaurant, the girl didn’t make the second day and the boy didn’t make the third. The comment from the Madeiran waiters, “They don’t want the work.” This has caused many restaurants to open for six days rather than seven as it is impossible to cover staff days off. Four years ago all the staff at this restaurant were Madeiran, now there are now four nationalities plus the Madeirans. The two new waiters are a credit to the restaurant.

    Reply

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