The race for European Capital of Culture 2012 heats up in Portugal
Tourism in Portugal may not be as thriving this year as it has been in previous years, but the Algarve, with its long sandy beaches and charming seaside resorts, will never fail to attract visitors, many of whom return year after year.
It is hardly surprising therefore that the Algarve tourism chief Nuno Aires criticized the city of Guimaraes, in the north of Portugal, for using images of empty beaches in the Algarve as part of its campaign to become European Capital of Culture in 2012. The campaign’s billboards show a picture of empty sun loungers with the words “Algarve Coast, 11.30am, August 2, 2010”.
Talk about stabbing your own country in the back! As the Algarve brings a prolific amount of people and wealth into Portugal it seems ludicrous that another region would deliberately shunt an essentially successful area in an attempt to become the European Capital of Culture. Publicizing his bewilderment Nuno Aires commented:
“This campaign is in very bad taste. The city of Guimaraes has so many interesting places to promote. It is totally unnecessary to use a beach in the Algarve to make the promotional campaign of Guimaraes 2012.”
Not only is the image unfair but it is also misleading. The Algarve is Portugal’s leading tourist destination and the region, on average, receives eight million tourists each year, most of which visit the area in the peak holiday season. Despite being in the wake of the global economic downturn, the number of overseas property investors is on the increase in the Algarve. Given this hive of tourist and real estate activity in the Algarve, the Guimaraes campaign could not be more ill-timed and further from the truth.
In the city’s defence a spokesperson from the management of Guimaraes 2012 European Capital of Culture assured that the “campaign was not made to mock anyone” and the aim was to “express the idea that in 2012 all roads will lead to Guimaraes.”
For a city to excel in society and culture it should acknowledge, embrace and be proud of other cities’ and regions’ positive attributes, particularly when that region is in your own country. Ironically for Guimaraes, its distasteful and incorrect campaign may end up having a detrimental effect on its attempt to become the European Capital of Culture in 2012.