Portugal

Portugal: Potential Lisbon Tourist Tax Won’t Break the Bank

Date: October 6th, 2010 |

A modest proposal from Lisbon’s mayor could raise $18 million annually to promote the city’s tourism and cost visitors an amount they would never notice, but it is being fought by hoteliers. The plan calls for a tariff of 1 euro ($1.38) on arrival for all foreign tourists and an additional hotel tax of up [read more]

Portugal: Madeira Suffers Floods and Mudslides, Bounces Back

Date: February 24th, 2010 |

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Torrential rains caused flash floods and mudslides that killed at least 42 people in this Portuguese island’s capital city, Funchal, Feb. 20. While the wreckage was severe and will take days to clean up, authorities pleaded with tourists not to cancel their trips to the island off the coast of West Africa, claiming that the [read more]

Portugal: Violent Crime Increasing

Date: September 11th, 2008 |

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Violent crime is increasing, with armed robberies and carjackings up significantly in the past year. Bank robberies have almost doubled and carjackings are up 50 percent. Police believe the spike in crime is due in part to the deteriorating economy, driving otherwise honest individuals to crime to make ends meet. Portugal is now the poorest [read more]

Portugal: Signs in English to Appear on Algarve Beaches

Date: October 31st, 2007 |

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The tragic deaths of three of four parents who drowned saving their children from an unseen whirlpool in the Algarve have prompted officials to order signs in English posted on every dangerous beach in the region by next June. Signs warned of dangerous currents but all were in Portuguese, which the British visitors could not [read more]

Portugal

Date: June 1st, 2004 |

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Authorities have imposed border controls until July 4 in an effort to prevent disturbances during the Euro 2004 soccer championships that begin June 12. EU citizens and Americans must show passports on arrival. Mobile patrols have been set up on highways rather than reopening old border posts. The championships have been plagued by hooligan violence [read more]

Europe: Airline Strikes to Disrupt Travel, Again

Date: March 24th, 2010 |

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Airline strikes are likely to disrupt travel again in late March and April, with British Airways cabin crews striking for a second time in as many weeks March 27-30, TAP Portugal pilots walking out March 26-31, and Lufthansa pilots refusing to work April 13-16. All three strikes will cause havoc on their airlines’ respective [read more]

Portugal: Crime Rate Is Low, but Petty Crime Still Occurs

Date: June 17th, 2009 |

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The crime rate is low in Lisbon and around the country, but petty crime occurs as it does in most major cities. Pickpockets work Lisbon’s tourist areas and small-time drug dealers and con men commonly approach tourists. Police statistics show that overall crime is down but violent crime has increased slightly, led by a 10 [read more]

France, Portugal, Mauritania, Senegal: Dakar Rally Canceled

Date: January 10th, 2008 |

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The Christmas Eve murders of four French tourists in Mauritania has prompted organizers of the Dakar Rally to cancel this year’s race. The rally was scheduled to start in Lisbon Jan. 5 and finish in Dakar, Senegal Jan. 20. Race officials faced pressure from the French government to call off the rally because nine of [read more]

Portugal: Tourist Police Now Operating in Lisbon

Date: June 27th, 2006 |

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A new tourist police unit is operating in Lisbon through Sept. 30, aiming to provide tourist information and advice about how to stay safe in the city. The mobile unit is stationed at a different tourist site each day, including Rua Augusta, the viewing point of Santa Luzia, the Padro dos Descobrimentos, the Jernimos Monastery, [read more]

Portugal

Date: May 18th, 2004 |

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Portugal will be busy with large-scale events this summer that will draw millions of people to various parts of the country. On the 13th day of each month from June through October some 400,000 pilgrims are expected to visit the town of Fatima. Lisbon�s “Rock in Rio” outdoor music festival from May 28 to June [read more]

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