Travel Agencies Ask for Government Support to Mitigate Impact of Bad Weather on Easter

Bad weather in Portugal should have a reduced impact on travel during Carnival, but could have negative effects on tourism at Easterthe National Association of Travel Agencies warned Lusa, calling on the Government to accelerate support.

The president of the National Association of Travel Agencies (ANAV), Miguel Quintas, told Lusa today that it is still “premature” to come up with numbers regarding possible cancellations and changes in reservations due to the storms that have hit Portugal, because the data is still being collected, but he signaled that there are concerns regarding the impact on Easter.

The official pointed out that during Carnival season, which this year is celebrated on February 17th, “normally the reservations are from Portuguese tourists and it is low season”, so the impact should be reduced, particularly taking into account that internal trips do not always involve stays in tourist spaces.

Still, they have been several events were cancelled, such as the Carnival Night Parade in Rio Maior, scheduled for the 14th, which was postponed, while the Câmara das Caldas da Rainha canceled events such as Carnival and the Foz Beats Festival and the Câmara de Tomar canceled all Carnival 2026 initiatives, scheduled between the 13th and 17th of February.

Although the impact on Carnival may be more reduced for this sector, “Easter is just around the corner”, warned Miguel Quintas, pointing out that the association has received some reports from tourism in the Centro and Ribatejo areas that “there is disruption in close to 80% of activities related to tourism, such as cafes, restaurants and hotels”.

The president of ANAV, which has around 100 members, pointed out that 40% to 50% of activities, mostly in the Central area, had to close due to bad weather, of which some have already managed to open.

“At Easter we receive many tourists, many of whom are Spanish, and Holy Week is one of the busiest weeks [de turismo] of Spain”, he signaled, pointing out that there are already “international counterparts who are apprehensive about Easter because they do not know the extent of the damage caused”.