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Tourism redevelopment in Lisbon
For the past couple of decades, Lisbon has been one of the most visited capital cities in Europe. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the city got highly affected by the tourism decrease. Therefore, mayor of Lisbon Carlos Moedas has multiplied initiatives to support the economy during the pandemic.
In order to put a final stop to the pandemic, the mayor opened large centers for vaccination, which can host between 5,000 and 6,000 people on a daily basis. He stated: “Even if the pandemic is currently becoming endemic – that is to say that we will live permanently with the virus – I am optimistic: we will be able to maintain the activity of shops and restaurants, which is essential for Lisbon”.
Mayor of Lisbon continued: “Tourism represents 27% of Lisbon’s wealth, and its growth reached 10% per year from 2013 to 2019”. The plan made by mayor Moedas aims at further establishing Lisbon as both weekend and holiday destination. This will be done through various investments which will reinforce infrastructure, services and attractions around the city.
There are also plans for promotion of new tourist attractions, such as the Marvila district. This part of the city has a massive influx of French tourists, because it offers authenticity. The Parque Mayer district will be revitalized, with special focus on gardens located there. The plan for other neighborhoods is to introduce more artistic and musical elements and themes. The whole tourism sector will be further supported by a large convention center, which will provide special help in the establishment of business tourism.
Mayor Moedas also announced his support for construction of the new Montijo airport. He said: “It is a crucial infrastructure project, because 95% of tourists arrive in Lisbon by plane. I promised to the voters to push hard to build this new airport, and told the Prime Minister that we had to move forward very quickly”. (photo credit: Alex Paganelli/Unsplash)
