Madeira News Blog

(3rd June). ‘Recommencement Of Work On Madeira Palácio Hotel Dependent On Financing Of €60 Million – Administrator of Fibeira assures that whatever the outcome, the process will be completed in the Summer’. Fibeira, the owner of the hotel, is negotiating with a bank to obtain the loan, and says the discussion is on track, although given the high value of the request and the current economic conditions it is premature to say that agreement will be reached. The administrator also met on Tuesday afternoon with the Hotel Workers Trade Union and some of the 116 workers, to discuss their employment situation. The termination of contracts has already been started with older employees, and the trade union is not unhappy with that.

(1st June). ‘Madeira And Poland Connected Weekly – SATA started on Tuesday the first of two operations to Eastern Europe’. The connection goes to / from Varsóvia every Tuesday, finishing on 27th April 2010. The first flight has 312 passenger bookings. On the 16th June another weekly flight goes to Pojznan in Poland, and that service will also continue to 27th April 2010. In 2008 9,000 Polish tourists came to Madeira. 

’5,683 More Madeirans Submit IRS – Higher incomes, pensioners, and tax dodgers lead to more taxes paid’. The efficiency of the ‘tax machine’, the obligations of more pensioners, and the start of new professional lives explain the fact that the number of tax returns rose over the last two years by 15.6%. 111,533 tax returns were delivered this year. System cross-referencing with employers, social security, and other entities identified Madeirans actively living outside the tax contribution system. Use of the internet to submit tax returns increased 22.2%, representing 77,766 submission, or 69.7% of the total, thought to be encouraged by the earlier repayment or tax rebates. The total income declared amounted to just over €1.6 billion.

A new campaign to drink ‘Madeira on the rocks’ is to launch in the next few days. The Institute of Wine is going to repeat its initiative of last year that introduced to many the pleasures of Madeira Wine with ice. The campaign by poster and other methods, that will include ‘tasting in bars’, is mainly aimed at 30 to 45 year olds. The Madeira market for Madeira Wine represents 25% of the total consumption, or 530 thousand litres per year, worth €3.8 million.

A Wind Orchestra, the Metal Quintet, the Orchestra of Accordions, and the Clarinet Ensemble will entertain on the streets of Funchal on Saturdays, between the 4th (6th?) and 26th (27th?) June. The performances are are part of the Atlantic Festival, and start at 7pm on the Avenida Arriaga. The dates given in the Diário don’t correspond with Saturdays, so I inserted the dates in brackets.

(31st May). ‘Sun And Free Entrance Compose The Beaches – The good weather takes many people to the beaches, even with a very high UV factor’. Even the clouds that descended over Funchal yesterday afternoon didn’t deter people from Lido*, Ponta Gorda, Gavinas, and the other free beaches. Some people said that they no longer use the beaches that charge entrance fees. Today also has a very high ultra violet warning. (*I believe access to Lido is free for a temporary period?).

‘The Thematic Park At Santana Is Going To Have A Time Machine’. The attraction will show visitors old images of Madeira "which curiously continues until the year 2419", a thousand years after Madeira was discovered. I wonder if Uncle Bertie will feature in those later years, or perhaps that will be saved for another display about the dinosaurs of Madeira.

Ribeira Brava Distinguished With ‘Accessible Beach’ Flag – It is the first beach on Madeira to display the flag that shows that there is special access provisions for disabled people, people with mobility problems, pregnant women, and the elderly. The award is made by the National Committee of Coordination for the European Year of People with Disabilities. To obtain the award, six criteria must be met : Pedestrian access,  parking provision, access to bathing area, beach crossing path, adequate sanitary provisions, and access to help / first aid. Other less critical considerations are access to bars and restaurants, and availability of amphibious wheelchairs (which Ribeira Brava doesn’t have). The award, which has been running since 2004, already covers dozens of beaches in Portugal and the Azores. 

(30th May). ‘The ship Santa Maria offers tickets at €15 for the Atlantic Festival – Cheaper tickets for Madeirans’. Demand to see the firework displays is high, and the company that owns the ship will do Saturday night trips out to see the event from offshore. The tickets are on sale at the booking office at Funchal Marina. The outing departs at 10pm, returning at 11.30pm, and includes a glass of Madeira Wine. Other Portuguese and foreigners can book tickets at hotel receptions and travel agencies for €25. I am sure someone will have something to say on the price differential … over to you!

(29th May). ‘SATA Brings New Aircraft To Porto Santo – The new plane has less seats, but will be more modern’. The two Bombardier Dash Q200′s have already arrived on the Azores, but for now have a Canadian registration. They will fly the Madeira – Porto Santo route from the start of next year. They have already been painted in the new SATA group ‘brand’ that uses the slogan ‘The Atlantic and you’. The planes already have 11 years of service, having been used by the North American company Horizon. They will substitute the ATP which currently does the Porto Santo route, and will be more modern and more efficient for the job. There will only be 37 seats, compared to the 65 currently, but the new planes will be able to make more journeys. SATA also awaits delivery of four new Dash Q400′s, with capacity for 80 passengers, and these will be used in the new year on routes between the Azores, Madeira, and the Canary Islands initially, and later for Faro and also the islands of Cabo Verde.

‘Post of Madeira In Lisbon ‘Despejado’ By The AICEP’. A couple of things there I can’t work out, but the gist of the article is that Madeira has been kicked out of it’s space in the tourist information offices in Lisbon, a space it had shared with the Azores over many years. Turismo de Lisboa took the action without consultation, and surprised Madeira, although the Azores had already made alternative arrangements. The Regional Secretary for Tourism and Transport may have known, but probably wasn’t given time to make alternative arrangements. The search is now on to find somewhere else suitable.