Tourism Drives Revival in Portuguese Economy   Portugal’s tourism revenue grew 12.37% in 2014, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INE), reaching €10.4 billion in revenue and contributing more than €7 to Portugal’s balance of trade. The increase represents the third successive year of impressive growth for a sector that represents around 5% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product),...

Viva Culture!   Empty streets, closed cafés and restaurants, hotels which give their staff a long winter off, and even beach bars which are disassembled, only to miraculously reappear in the spring, are well-recognised signs of life in a summer tourist destination. Walkers are in their element as they have trails to themselves. Cyclists find that the only traffic are the few locals who also venture...

Accessibility: Levelling the Playing Field for Senior Tourists At the World Travel Market in London a panel discussion on accessible tourism included panellists from around the world, among them Paralympian Ade Adepitan. The participants expressed their frustration at the slow pace of change in levelling accessibility in the playing field for travellers with disabilities, starting with those with physical...

Art in Algarve Emulates Multicultural Community   It’s not quite Miami, or the melting pot that is São Paulo, or Paris with its quartiers, or even London with its myriad Tube stops, many of which represent gateways to miniature international communities. But art in Algarve has its own ‘identity’ influenced by the vast range of nationalities represented in such a small area: Portuguese, German,...

SKATTEFRI PENSIONERING I HJÄRTAT AV EUROPA   Vem som helst som närmar sig pensionsåldern vill skydda sin välförtjänta pension. Många vill göra detta i ett tryggt land med ett varmt klimat, med vänliga människor och med en fantastisk livsstil. Inget enskilt land har en särskilt underlättad procedur till ovanstående. Portugal, som röstats Europas bästa golf och strand destination av...

The Algarve: Best Place in the World to Retire! Finally it is official! It has been coming for some time, it must be said. Europe’s leading beach destination – World Travel Awards. 2nd best place to retire overseas – The Telegraph. 7thfriendliest nation in the world (among 140 surveyed) – CNN. World’s leading Golf Destination – WTA. And now: Algarve, Portugal: Best Place in the World to Retire...

We hear it all the time. Went on holiday but there was nothing to do. Great beaches, plenty of sunshine, but how can we otherwise occupy our time? The other day, I even had to convince a Portuguese person that he was falling into the trap of paying lip service to that ill-gotten, and much maligned, it must be said, reputation which places like the Algarve have earned, for being, dare we say it:...

The Non Habitual Resident law: a Case Study   I thought that Börje Forsberg looked tanned and relaxed. Although we had never met before, I assumed that this was because he was now retired to the Algarve. He was quick to confirm my first impressions. By his own admission, he now has a very different lifestyle to the one before his retirement four years ago, all due to the Non Habitual Resident law...

Remember the 80s, rejoice the senior artists - Billy Ocean!   The largest-ever crowd at a Cascais Revival Festival was restless. A rushed performance by the preceding act, who were eager to be off to see England play in the World Cup, had sprinkled the warm night air with tension. Among the assembled audience the anticipation steadily grew as the crew meticulously rolled out, positioned and locked...

Cascais Revival Festival REMEMBERED! The largest-ever crowd at a Cascais Revival Festival was restless. A rushed performance by the preceding act, eager to be off to see England play in the World Cup, had sprinkled the warm night air with tension. Anticipation steadily grew as musicians and vocalists made their way onto a stage tinged with blue light. In seconds a jazzy, soulful instrumental set the scene...