Government Urges Tourism Companies to Offer Trips to Less-Visited Locations
The Regional Directorate of Tourism of Madeira has reached out to 947 companies in the tourism sector, encouraging them to diversify visitor itineraries. The goal is to improve the visitor experience, protect popular sites, and create a more balanced distribution of tourism flows across the region.
In an official note, the Directorate explained that it “recommends exploring new circuits, valuing alternative tourist spots, and adopting different schedules, so that the benefits of tourism activity can be spread across a wider number of places and communities.”
A Message of Partnership With the Sector
Eduardo Jesus, Regional Secretary for Tourism, Environment and Culture, highlighted that this communication is part of an ongoing dialogue with local operators.
This is a communication that is normal and desirable in our relationship with the sector, with a very concrete appeal that involves those who have experience through daily practice. Nothing compares to the opinion of those who are on the ground, a circumstance that we greatly value.
Eduardo Jesus, Diário de Notícias Madeira
The Secretary stressed that this effort is not an isolated measure but part of a wider strategy to protect Madeira’s cultural and natural heritage while raising the quality of tourism services.
Preserving the Authentic Experience
Tourism in Madeira has grown steadily in recent years, leading to greater pressure on well-known attractions. According to Mr. Jesus, maintaining the authenticity of places is as important as their natural beauty.
The quality of the destination is measured not only by the beauty of its sites but also by the way they can be enjoyed, ensuring they remain authentic, preserved, and pleasant for all, including residents
Eduardo Jesus, Diário de Notícias Madeira
The government argues that long-established visitor routines no longer match today’s high demand. Alternative routes and new habits, it says, are necessary to maintain sustainability and improve visitor satisfaction.
Support for Innovation and Sustainability
The Regional Directorate of Tourism has offered to work directly with companies in designing new itineraries. Technical support will be available to help operators create proposals that combine innovation, sustainability, and attractiveness.
Officials underline that several businesses have already begun diversifying their offers, with positive results for both visitors and the companies themselves. The government hopes the wider sector will now follow, spreading the economic and cultural benefits of tourism more evenly across Madeira and Porto Santo.
More Tourism Will Not Solve Madeira’s Problems
Encouraging visitors to explore less-frequented areas of Madeira will create new problems. To name a few:
Fragile landscapes that are currently preserved will face damage once opened to larger groups.
Villages without proper infrastructure could struggle with waste, traffic, and rising prices, reducing quality of life for residents.
Expanding routes might also dilute the cultural authenticity that attracts visitors in the first place, turning quiet communities into tourist zones.
While the policy aims for balance, spreading tourism too widely risks repeating the same mistakes of overcrowding, only in new areas, and could undermine long-term sustainability.
Last but not least: More Tourism is not the answer for Madeira. Tourism is set to perpetuate the problems of a low-paid employment sector. New Opportunities in different sectors are the only way forward and the only way to solve the increasing number of problems many residents are facing today.
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