Porto Santo was lit up at the beginning of December, but the mayor, Nuno Batista, apologized to all residents “for the poor lighting” and spoke of “disregard” on the part of the Regional Government.
“Today marks the beginning of December and the lights have been switched on throughout the city centre, accompanied by various Christmas events, planned by the Porto Santo City Council. In the heart of the city, the typical nativity scene was created, where the main figures of the birth of the Baby Jesus are represented and where we can find various elements representing the Porto Santo traditions of this time of year”, he began by saying in a statement.
However, the mayor apologizes to all Porto Santo residents and to all those visiting the island during this Christmas season “for the poor lighting”.
“We have been fighting to ensure that Porto Santo is no longer seasonal, and as it is increasingly sought after as a tourist destination, with the Municipality making an effort to bring events in the low season, we all, and I mean everyone, including the Regional Government, must understand that they have to help us enhance our qualities and work together to make Porto Santo increasingly attractive to those who visit us and a source of pride for all Porto Santo residents,” he added.
He also says that “Christmas lighting is an element of enormous importance for local commerce, particularly during this time of year, when the sales volume of traders depends largely on a festive and welcoming environment that motivates people to leave their homes, walk through the city streets and do their shopping in traditional stores”.
“The weak commitment to Christmas lighting that the Government made this year in Porto Santo could directly affect the attractiveness of our island and consequently have a negative impact on our local traders”, he laments.
He guarantees that “the Municipality tried in several ways to prevent this situation from occurring, alerting the Government and those responsible to the poor lighting that existed”.
“We waited expectantly for today, with the hope that a solution would be found,” he said.
However, he hopes that this Christmas season will be celebrated “with hearts full of gratitude” by all Porto Santo residents and those who visit the island throughout the year.
And he concludes: “Thank you all for making all the achievements of this year possible and may they be just the beginning of a fight for a better future. May your wishes come true. Count on me to achieve them.”