Today is the day when the frustration of owners, workers, suppliers, and service providers in the local accommodation sector finds a voice, expressing concerns about the "Mais Habitação" program approved on February 16, 2023, by the Council of Ministers. This program, in practice, is seen as the end of the sector.
The national mobilization for local accommodation against the measures presented by the Government will take place today at 3:00 PM at the main entrance of the Feira Internacional de Lisboa (FIL), where the Lisbon Tourism Exchange (BTL) begins. Hundreds of people from all over the country are expected to join the protest.
Carla Costa Reis, owner of local accommodation and one of the main drivers of the protest, chose the date symbolically to draw attention to the negative consequences of the proposals.
The presented measures leave municipalities completely out of the decision-making process and show total indifference. In the case of the Algarve, local accommodation represents almost 20% of the total tourist overnight stays in the region, constituting one of the pillars of the economy. Its disappearance jeopardizes the sector's ability to respond and its quality, putting thousands of businesses and jobs at risk.
The Association of Local Accommodation in Portugal (ALEP), which supports and joins this mobilization, also believes that "these measures will kill local accommodation." The sector is vital for tens of thousands of families in Portugal and significantly impacts the lives of many people connected to tourism-dependent services. Local accommodation contributes more than 40% of the national tourism accommodation and deserves differentiated treatment. ALEP emphasizes that the success of tourism and the country's economy is at stake, and they cannot endorse these irresponsible measures.