RITA MARQUES - Essential Business
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Nº15 July / September 2021
PORTUGAL ON THE MOVE
BUSINESS
RITA MARQUES
Kickstarting tourism
APPII
Streamlining planning permission
NOVO BANCO
What went wrong?
GARLAND
Shipping goods since 1776
BEATRIZ RUBIO
Commandments for success
July / September 2021 €3.00
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Unique International Curriculum
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FROM DAYCARE TO IB DIPLOMA PROGRAMME
MINDFULNESS LANGUAGES CODING &
MINDFULNESS IS THE BASIC THE LANGUAGES WE TEACH ROBOTICS
HUMAN ABILITY TO BE FULLY COMPLEMENT OUR IB
PRESENT, AWARE OF WHERE WE CURRICULUM. BASIC PROGRAMMING HAS
ARE AND WHAT WE’RE DOING, WE HAVE CAREFULLY SELECTED BECOME AN ESSENTIAL SKILL
AND NOT OVERLY REACT TO SPECIFIC LANGUAGES THAT FOR CHILDREN. LEARNING HOW
WHAT’S GOING ON AROUND US. ALLOW STUDENTS TO WORK IN TO BUILD SIMPLE WEBSITES AND
AT ISS WE PROMOTE THREE DIFFERENT ALPHABETS GAMES HELPS KIDS REFINE THEIR
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CLASSROOM, MOMENTS FOR CYRILLIC ALPHABET) AND HELP ALSO ALLOWS THEM TO EXPRESS
MEDITATION AND STRETCHING THEM TO MAKE BETTER IDEAS AND CREATIVITY IN
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Abrunheira Business Center nº 03
Welcome to Issue 15 of Essential Business, Abrunheira 2710-056 Sintra
Tel.: +351 219 158 150
geral@grafisol.pt
As the Covid-19 crisis drags on into a second summer season companies operating in the tourism
sector, one of the most important for Portugal’s economy, are again facing disaster and ruin. The Lisbon Office
Av. Engenheiro Duarte Pacheco, Torre 2, 10º, Fracção 11
government has provided some funds and will distribute others. Will they, however, be sufficient 1070-101 Lisboa
to prevent many small family-owned hotels, restaurants, bars and shops from closing down? Tel (+351) 213 224 812
Essential speaks to the Secretary of State for Tourism Rita Marques about the government’s short- essential.lisboa@open-media.net
to-medium and long term plan for the sector. Algarve Office
Now that a long and very public parliamentary inquiry into imprudent lending at Banco Espírito Apartado 59,
Parque Empresarial Algarve 7, 8401-901 Lagoa
Santo and mismanagement at its successor Novo Banco has ended, David Sampson looks back Tel (+351) 282 341 333 Fax (+351) 282 341 360
at the fall of Espírito Santo and the genesis of Novo Banco and suggests what went wrong and essential.algarve@open-media.net
why the Portuguese public has largely picked up the bill. London Office
Twenty-five years ago Portuguese cuisine was hardly cuisine at all. It was tasty and wholesome 40 Craven Street, Charing Cross
but lacked sophistication. How things have changed thanks to top Portuguese and overseas chefs London WC2N 5NG, England
Tel: +44 (0) 207 389 0527
who have made it glamorous and put it on the International map. Essential speaks to two chefs,
Vasco Coelho Santos (Euskalduna Group) and London’s Bar Douro founder Max Graham on the Distribuição
VASP - Distribuidora de Publicações, Lda
latest trends in Portuguese cuisine. MLP: Media Logistics Park
Beatriz Rubio the CEO of RE/MAX Portugal is undoubtedly one of the most dynamic business- Quinta do Grajal - Venda Seca
women today in Portugal. The high-profile estate agent shares with Essential her 10 command- 2739-511 Agualva Cacém
Tel (+351 214 337 000
ments for success. geral@vasp.pt
Cryptocurrencies are gaining influence and threaten to make the traditional banking sector
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Portugal’s real estate investment and development market is one of the main drivers of Portugal’s
Circulation
economy, yet both central and local government find it difficult to balance the need to generate 6000
tax revenue from this ‘golden goose’ without scaring away investors. We interview the new
C.E.O.
president of the Portuguese Association for Real Estate Developers and Investors, Hugo Santos Miguel Ladeira Santos
Ferreira about what needs to be done to continue to make Portugal an attractive investment
location in Europe and the world. This and many more articles await you in the latest issue of
Essential Business.
Chris Graeme, Editor While every effort has been made to mantain the integrity of
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Copyright Essential Business 2018©
Reproduction of any part of this magazine is strictly forbidden
Estatuto editorial
Publicação registada na Entidade Reguladora para a Comunicação Social com o
A revista Essential Business pretende dar a conhecer à comunidade empresarial e internacional em Portugal e a quem visita o país em trabalho, para eventos profissionais número 127106. DirectorCátia Matos Propriedade Open Media Europe S.A.
ou para investimento, a realidade e atualidade sobre negócios em Portugal. NIF 515462063 Administrador/Presidente do Conselho de Administração
Miguel Ladeira Santos
Enquanto temas relacionados com a imobiliária e o turismo são uma presença constante, a revista e os seus suportes digitais cobrem todas as áreas de negócio, incluindo 1 - É garantida a liberdade de imprensa, nos termos da Constituição e da lei.
a saúde, o retalho e as mais diversas indústrias. 2 - A liberdade de imprensa abrange o direito de informar, de se informar e de
ser informado, sem impedimentos nem discriminações.
A revista Essential Business assume o compromisso de assegurar o respeito pelos princípios deontológicos e pela ética profissional dos jornalistas, assim como pela 3 - O exercício destes direitos não pode ser impedido ou limitado por qualquer
boa-fé dos leitores. tipo ou forma de censura.
www.essential-business.pt 4
Essential Features
8 News
AMCHAM ORGANISES PORTUGAL-US TRADE SUMMIT
12 Cover story
PORTUGAL’S PLANS FOR TOURISM
20 Lisbon’s Education Hub
MEET PORTUGAL’S EDUCATION PIONEERS
26 Real estate
THE PORTUGUESE GOVERNMENT’S GOLDEN GOOSE
12
32 Beatriz Rubio
SELLING HOUSES WITH CHARM
32
36 BPCC
ENCOURAGING CONNECTIVITY
38 Covid-19
WILL OFFICE WORK EVER BE THE SAME?
40 Garland
THRIVING SINCE 1776
44 Trip Hawkins
THE GAMING GENIUS
46 Portugal’s EU Presidency 48
SURPRISINGLY SUCCESSFUL
48 Casa Relvas
A FAMILY AFFAIR
52 Novo Banco
PORTUGAL’S BANKING SOAP OPERA
56 Cryptocurrencies
HAS PORTUGAL’S CENTRAL BANK MISSED THE BOAT?
60 Opinion
FLY ME TO THE MOON!
62 Sheraton 20
A CITY HOTEL IN TIMES OF COVID
26 62
66 Talking tourism
RITA MARQUES AT THE ICPT
40
www.essential-business.pt 6
Essential News
Pledge to streamline planning
processes
Carlos Moedas, the main opposition candidate standing against
incumbent mayor Fernando Medina in the Lisbon Municipal
Council elections on 26 September has pledged to streamline
planning permission processes if he wins.
For decades both national and
overseas developers in Portu-
gal have complained about
the years is often takes to get Angola at a Crossroads
planning permission approved
for a simple project, with a UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson fa-
process passing through many
mously asserted that after Brexit Angolan
hands before licenses are
either approved or denied.
families would be able to “tuck into deli-
At the International Club of cious wholesome chicken from Northern
Portugal in July, Moedas, who Ireland.” But the general public has been
until 2020 had been the Euro- more used to hearing from BBC’s
pean Commissioner for Scien- Panorama that Isabel dos Santos, Africa's
ce, Research and Innovation said that at both council and parish levels clearly defined richest woman, ‘ripped off Angola’ .
rules and transparency was required. Moedas says that the entire planning procedure
needed to be sped up and modernised. “We will have to change, and as quickly as Nonetheless, Angola is much more than a market for
possible, what is now one of the worst scourges of Lisbon - the problem of planning Irish chickens or a sunny place for alleged shady
permission permits”. kleptocrats. It is one of the biggest economies in
Carlos Moedas has also promised to use city council owned land and empty pro- Sub-Saharan Africa, alongside with Nigeria, South
perties to create affordable housing for rent in a bid to attract young professionals Africa, Kenya, and Ethiopia, being the second major
and families back into the centre of the city where the cost of property is so high as oil power, and a sizeable diamond producer. It deve-
to beyond the reach of the Portuguese middle classes. loped a pivotal role during the Cold War, as well as
claiming a central role in the independence of
Namibia and in the creation of strategic conditions
for the liberation of Nelson Mandela in South Africa.
Oeiras builds 1,200 middle class However, Angola is poised at a crossroads between
a past marked by civil war and corruption and a
housing units future of potential economic development.
Angola at a Crossroads is a new book by Rui Santos
Verde from publisher I. B. Tauris (Bloomsbury) which
The Oeiras Municipal Council examines the post-Civil War period which began in
is to build 1,200 new homes at
affordable prices aimed at the
2002 and saw the rise of a corrupt ruling elite, as well
as recent developments in the country, such as the
efforts of the current President, João Lourenço, to
You have the idea…
We make it real!
middle classes in the borough.
reform the regime through political openness,
The project has been created by the economic growth and a crackdown on corruption.
Oeiras Municipal Housing Programme Santos Verde analyses the country's recent history of
(Programa de Habitação de Oeiras) and corruption and the current attempts at reform in
launched in May by Oeiras Mayor order to determine whether economic and political
Isaltino Morais. The aim of the project is too cater to the housing needs of development is on the horizon for Angola, or
professional Portuguese middle class young people and families. whether these reforms are simply a move towards
Oeiras, which is on the outskirts of Lisbon and near Cascais and Sintra, has consolidating President Lourenço's personal power.
1,800 people in need of housing. Therefore, in 2020 the council signed a Rui Santos Verde is a Visiting Fellow at the African
contract with the Institute of Housing and Urban Rehabilitation (IHRU) to Studies Centre of the University of Oxford. He is
build 500 council homes on the back of the 1st Right - Accessible Housing Chief-Legal Adviser of MakaAngola, the main entity
Support Programme announced by Prime Minister António Costa. The that promotes democracy, human rights and fights
project will involve €85 million and Oeiras Council will build a further 700 corruption in Angola. In addition, he is a non-resident
homes to bring the total to 1,200. scholar at the University of Johannesburg and is PROJECT MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS
founder of the Angola Research Network.
Commercial Spaces | Interior Design | Kiosks
www.essential-business.pt 8 www.iw-enterprise.com
Essential News
Transatlantic trade relations take centre stage at Lisbon summit
Economic relations between the United States and occupying 10th position for imports (1.8%) while between 2016-2020
Portugal took centre stage at a one-day summit held there was an average annual growth rate in exports of 2.5% and 10.4%
in Lisbon on June 23. in imports. The balance of trade was favourable to Portugal with a
surplus of €1.4Bn in 2020.
The Transatlantic Economic and Trade Summit organised by the US Various business opportunities between the two countries have been
Chamber of Commerce in Portugal (AmCham) debated the prospects identified in various sectors, particularly health (EPI and innovative
for the future of bilateral trade and the opportunities for developing products), services linked to the digitalisation of the economy and
even stronger economic relations between the two countries. the development of ecologically sustainable products and an increase
The event was held in the year which marks the 70th anniversary of in E-commerce.
AmCham in Portugal, and despite a few tense moments concerning The Lisbon transatlantic trade event which was held at the city’s
data sharing security and protection and Chinese commercial Culturegest was the culminating debate in a series of five to mark
influence in Portugal, the general tone was that bi-lateral relations Portugal’s presidency of the European Council which ended at the
between the two countries have never been better. end of June.
Trade between the two countries has increased exponentially between The event attracted some of the most important government, trade
Portugal and the United States over the past five years, with the and business movers and shakers in Portugal today, as well as academic
balance of trade very much in Portugal’s favour. In fact, by 2018 the and arts leaders. The lineup included: Ana Ventura Miranda, founder of
United States overtook the United Kingdom with a trade surplus of the Arte Institute, André Azevedo, Secretary of State for Digital Transi-
€1.8Bn which has continued since. tion, António Martins da Costa, President of AmCham Portugal, António
This trade surplus has been largely down an increase in Portuguese Redondo, CEO Navigator Company, Bernardo Correia, Country Mana-
common metal exports including iron, steel, copper, zinc, lead and ger, Google Portugal, Domingos Fezas Vital, Portugal’s ambassador to
aluminium. the US, Eurico Brilhante Dias, Secretary of State for Internationalisation,
And even in the pandemic year, trade between Portugal and the US Isabel Capeloa Gil, Dean of the Universidade Católica, João Galamba,
gained positive ground with an increase in exports to the US in Q1 of Secretary of State for Energy, José Gonçalves, President of Accenture
2020, leading to the best balance of payments surplus compared to Portugal, Kristen M.Kane, Chargé d’Affaires at the US Embassy in Lisbon,
other leading trade partners, while Portugal cut imports from the Luís Castro Henriques, President of AICEP, Miguel Stilwell d’Andrade,
UK by over 50% (-56.3%) while importing more from the United CEO of EDP, Paulo Macedo, Presidente CGD, ex-deputy prime minister
States. (+25%) Paulo Portas, Peter H. Chase, senior fellow with the German Marshall
According to Portugal’s National Statistics Institute (INE), the US Fund, Rita Faden, board president of FLAD, Roger Coelho, Senior Policy
continued to be the fifth most important export client for Portugal in Director of AmCham EU and Tyson Barker, Head, Technology and
terms of goods and services in 2020, with a 5% share of the total, Foreign Policy of the German Council on Foreign Relations.
Paulo Macedo, President of CGD André Azevedo, Sec. State for Digitalisation Bernardo Correia, Google Portugal António Costa Martins, AmCham Portugal Paulo Portas (politician and TV commentator)
João Galamba, Sec. State for Energy Miguel Stilwell d’Andrade, CEO EDP Luís Castro Henriques, President AICEP Ana Ventura Miranda, Arte Institute Peter Chase. German Marshall Fund
www.essential-business.pt 10
Essential Tourism
Portugal’s tourism industry
Picking up the pieces
Portugal’s tourism sector has been decimated by Covid-19. Secretary of State for Tourism,
Rita Marques says it’s a temporary setback. Her department’s plan to Reactivate
Tourism|Build the Future aims to put Portugal back on top as Europe’s
leading tourism destination by 2027
TExT CHRIS GRAEME
W hen, in October 2019, Rita Mar-
ques was offered the outwardly
glamorous post of what is perhaps one of
Granted, these numbers were tall orders
to live up to, certainly following in the
footsteps of her predecessor Ana Mendes
highly qualified and who would find it
hard to find jobs in other areas.
It’s the car hire companies, the swim-
the Portuguese government’s most Godinho who took much of the well- ming pool cleaners, the bar and restau-
sought-after top jobs, Secretary of State deserved glory. rant owners, the wedding organisers, the
for Tourism, it must have been a dream But it was a dream job to crown a summer open-air concert promoters, the
come true. fast-track career for the engineer who, laundries that deal with hotel sheets
Hard work, yes. Long hours, inevi- months before, had headed Portugal and towels, and even down to the man
table. But travel up and down the country Ventures, the hybrid government-private who once cheerfully sold cream-filled
and overseas, to the Portuguese island investment venture capital outfit with an doughnuts on the normally packed
destinations, travel awards, boutique emphasis on tourism-leaning startups. Algarve beaches.
hotels and fine dining would all come But sometimes a chalice is poisoned, Being blamed, taking the flack and
with the job and be one of the perks of and suddenly a dream job can turn into a facing backlashes cannot be easy, even
heading one of the most important posi- nightmare, as Covid-19 all but wiped out for the thickest of skins. One can only
tions in the government, laden with one of the biggest drivers of Portugal’s imagine it would be an easier job being
responsibility since tourism is a key pillar economy. Josef Stalin’s private secretary. A thank-
of Portugal’s economy, worth a staggering And you suddenly go from being less task then.
€18.4billion in 2019, a record. everybody’s friend to everybody’s scape-
In terms of demand, the figures were goat. This was revealed in front of a ON THE SAME PAGE
impressive: over 70 million hotel night roomful of business leaders at a luncheon But then, Rita Marques has an amaz-
bookings (+4.6% on 2018) and a breath- organised by the prestigious International ing calm and collected detachment and
taking 27 million guests (almost three Club of Portugal (ICPT) this week, when genuinely doesn’t seem at all phased by
times the entire population of Portugal) the ex-president of the Portuguese travel the situation which, after all, is beyond
and +7.9% on the previous year. agents association APAVT, Vítor Filipe, her control.
There was also galloping growth founder of Travel Quality (TQ), told the “We have always been on the same
(+8.1%) in national guests compared Minister just how annoyed he and his page with our partners in tourism," she
to overseas holidaymakers (+7.8%), members were at the government’s sup- states matter-of-factly.
although foreigners were responsible port – or lack it – throughout the pan- “As the Secretary of State for
for 71.2% of take-up compared to 28.8% demic, which he said would force many Tourism, no matter what the circum-
nationals. independent agencies to close. stances are, our department cares for the
That year, revenues from overseas And the problem for the Secretary of tourism sector and we want what is best
visitors stood at €18.4 billion — in fact, Sate for Tourism is that the sector is not for its businesses. We share the same
revenues for that and the two preceding just about hotels and flights. It is about ambitions that most associations within
years of 2017 and 2018 almost amounted an entire chain of segments and sub- the sector have,” she says.
to the €76 billion bailout Portugal had segments within the sector, containing Rita Marques admits the Covid-19
received from the troika of international countless companies involved in goods pandemic is a “never-ending story” but,
lenders back in 2011. and services linked to tourism, both despite the difficult situation, she does
It was all going swimmingly. By January directly and indirectly, who employ tens have a good team, massive support from
2020, what could possibly go wrong? of thousands of people, many of them not the Minister of Economy, Pedro Siza
www.essential-business.pt 13
Essential Tourism Essential Tourism
tourism figures are “higher than they had The plan foresees an investment of theless, despite the best efforts in the
been in 2020”, pointing to improvements €6.1 billion for the Portuguese tourism world, Covid-19 numbers soared out of
for Q3 and Q4. sector, with the aim of exceeding reve- control by January 2021, forcing a second
Figures from the National Statistics nues of €27 billion by 2027. Given that lockdown with the resurgence of a new,
Institute (INE) and the Bank of Portugal Portugal enjoyed record years in terms of more contagious variants, the Delta va-
(BoP) for March revealed 283,000 guests tourist numbers and revenues in 2018 riant being the latest, taking hold in Lis-
and 636,000 nights (down 59% and (12.5 million overseas tourists and 21 bon and some parts of the Algarve by June.
66.5% respectively), 460,000 guests and million national and international tourists One way of meeting the third tenet of
946,000 nights for April (down 80.3% combined), and in 2019 (27.1 million the plan to Reactivate Tourism | Build the
“EVERybOdy IS TALKING and 84.2% on April 2019). The prelimi- combined), despite the Covid-19 blip Future - Generating Business is diversi-
AbOUT THE SECTOR nary estimates suggest that May will be and the caprices of changes in travel fying into new markets, in addition to the
SURVIVING AfTER THE better in terms of bookings than April. destination fads and fashions, the govern- tried-and-tested UK, Ireland, Spain, Ger-
PANdEMIC, bUT I WANT Still, despite the disappointing news ment thinks this is doable. many and the Scandinavian countries.
that Covid-19 numbers had risen “We have been extremely active in
TO SEE US THRIVING ANd again in the capital of Lisbon and in A FOUR-PILLAR STRATEGY long-haul markets in 2019. The Ameri-
SETTING AN ExAMPLE Albufeira in the Algarve, the Portuguese The government’s current strategy for can market has been growing by 20%, but
Of HOW A COUNTRy CAN government does not see temporary tourism, which has been temporarily we have also seen growth in the Cana-
dEVELOP ALL Of ITS retroactive measures as a major stum- modified and adapted to meet the chal- dian and Chinese markets, too,” explains
bling block to opening up the country’s lenges of the pandemic, was actually Rita Marques.
TOURISM ASSETS.” tourism economy. laid down in 2017 as part of a 10-year “This diversification helped Portugal
For starters, at the end of May, Portu- plan to 2027. for several reasons. First, it helped
gal’s Minister for Economy, Pedro Siza The updated strategy rests on four pil- counter a problem which had plagued
Vieira, unveiled an ambitious plan to lars: supporting companies, promoting Portugal’s perception overseas as just
support the development, growth and health and hygiene safety measures, gene- being a ‘sun, sea and beach’ destination
Vieira, from other secretaries of state working in the industry have made sacri- their holidays in the Algarve or rush home
innovation of the wider sector to 2027. rating business, and building the future. (with some golfing holidays thrown in at
within the government, and the Minister fices to safeguard their jobs,” says Rita to beat a quarantine deadline, makes one
The essential tenants of the plan to The government made good headway the upper end of the market), which
of Foreign Affairs, Augusto Santos Silva, Marques. wonder just how “fully open” Portugal’s
Reactivate Tourism | Build the Future in 2020 with the second tenet of the plan meant that, when the summer season
and Minister of Internal Affairs, Eduardo “After a year now of the pandemic, I tourism sector can be.
were also emphasised by Rita Marques at to Reactivate Tourism | Build the Future was over, the sector suffered.”
Cabrita, sharing “a spirit of resilience and feel the sector is united, cohesive and And the situation got more difficult
a Lisbon business lunch organised by the - Providing Hygiene Safety through The strategy worked. By 2019, Portu-
working together” to deal with issues as eager to start working on fully opening up when Germany too decided on June 25
International Club of Portugal in June, sanitary measures it developed for the gal had the lowest seasonality index rate
they have arisen. our tourism sector,” she said, after last to join the UK in pulling Portugal off its
attended by overseas diplomats who use tourism industry regarding hotels and out of all the Southern European coun-
The Secretary of State says she has year’s disaster in which companies linked green list, But Air France, on the other
to the sector lost an estimated €1 billion
such events to get insights into govern- guesthouse accommodation through its tries. “July, August and September are
felt the support and cooperation of the hand, upped its flights to Portugal by
ment thinking and policy. Clean & Safe campaign in 2020. Never- important months, but we work the low
various sector associations, including in revenues. 25%, and from June 16, US visitors were
public entities such as the tourism able to travel to Portugal.
bureaux Turismo de Portugal, Turismo do A €3 BILLION LIFEBUOY And while the president of the AHP
Porto e Norte de Portugal and Turismo To help mitigate these losses, the Raul Martins called the UK government’s
do Algarve, the Portuguese Hotel Asso- government recently announced public decision an “unpleasant surprise”, hote-
ciation (AHP), the Portuguese Travel and funding of around €3 billion as the main liers in the Algarve have been getting
Tourism Agencies Association (APAVT), component of its plan to Reactivate cancelled bookings from Portuguese
the Portuguese Association of Restau- Tourism | Build the Future - Supporting tourists from Lisbon after restrictions
rants, Hotels and Tourism (APHORT) Companies, and this includes facilities to on movement were put in place by the
and the Portuguese Association of Bars, capitalise sector companies, reschedule government, with João Soares of the
Discos and Entertainment Establish- bank loans and repayments, extending same association) in the Algarve saying:
ments (APBDA) to name just a few of the grace periods on the repayments “This news is a disaster since we’ve
the many associations that make up an on existing bank lending in a support already got restrictions from the UK
industry whose members have been package that will be transversal across market and others.”
seriously affected by the sanitary mea- the sector. Some in the sector feel that, with
sures and restrictions set up to control Of course, the issue this year after a so many airline routes still closed,
the pandemic. second lockdown between January 13 and the super-contagious Indian Delta
“We try and tackle the situations in a and March 31, a back-track on the variant spreading, Portugal may be facing
very precise way, calling companies and phased reopening of the wider food and a second lost summer season. Rita
associations to get feedback in order to beverage outlet segments in late June as Marques disagrees.
improve measures. Of course, we are Covid numbers rose in Lisbon and “Nothing is lost. The assets we have
well aware that the financial support and Albufeira, affecting both opening hours that have made Portugal internationally
incentives that the government has pro- and numbers in shops, restaurants, cafés recognised as the best destination in the
vided were relevant, but we have to and bars, and the UK’s decision to pull world, the best destination in Europe
recognise that the sector has survived, Portugal off its green list on June 6 after [World Travel Awards] are still here and
companies have had to go to the bank to adding it on May 17, resulting in thou- we need to reactivate what we have,” she
get stays on loans and even the staff sands of tourists having to either cancel says, notingthat the estimates for 2021
www.essential-business.pt 14 www.essential-business.pt 15
Essential Tourism Essential Tourism
“THE AIM IS TO KEEP PORTUGAL COMPETITIVE ANd KEEP bUSINESS COMING
IN ANd THIS ALSO MEANS THAT PORTUGAL MUST MARKET ITSELf WELL
IN ITS TARGET MARKETS ANd dIVERSIfy.”
programme so that the targets that much greater ambition to define a tou- tourism lobbies to “holiday at home”,
we have defined until 2027 can be rism strategy for 2030-2050 within a with a UK-wide government-backed
achieved,” explains the minister. European context. tourism campaign launched around the
Rita Marques reiterates: “Our goal is The Portuguese presidency of the same time to inspire people, particularly
to reach the level we had set in 2017, by European Council, which ended at the the young, to holiday in the UK rather
2027. In 2017, we had projected a end of June, launched this challenge than abroad.
tourism revenue growth rate that would and it is hoped that it will be passed by “This is a question for the British
achieve €27 billion by 2027 and that has the Council. government, but I was more surprised
not changed. The crisis may have set us “I have high hopes that we will shortly rather than disappointed that Portugal
back on our goal, but our plan is to get to be able to announce a European Agenda was removed from the green list. Other
this level, and if possible, even exceed it.” for Tourism 2030-2050, which will con- EU member states were equally sur-
tinue under the Slovenian presidency prised. I was in Greece when I received
that begins in July,” says Rita Marques. the news and I was with the Greek,
From the €6.1 billion investment
THE DEVELOPMENT BANK
Spanish and Maltese tourism ministers
total, the largest portion of €4 billion will THE BRITISH MARKET and they were surprised since they have
be held by Portugal’s new development The British market is the most impor- very low Covid numbers and were meet-
bank, Banco Português de Fomento, tant one in terms of tourism revenues for ing all of the UK’s own standards and
which will direct €3 billion in aid to Portugal, in a long love affair among regulations,” says Rita Marques.
season not only because of golf, but also populated areas, and instead sought the – in this case, cycling – so that they have support companies with a view to foster- British tourists with the Algarve across all “This is not good, not only for the
taking advantage of long-haul travel, wide open spaces of nature and the a network of cycling paths and related ing both productivity and jobs, and €1 economic income brackets, and this has governments, but also the tour operators
from October to February, because coun- countryside. Portugal was able to capi- infrastructures. billion for capitalisation, thereby meeting been a constant for Portugal’s main and companies. We understand that we
tries like Brazil have holidays in these talise on this, as we had already invested the first of the essential tenets of the plan holiday region since the mid-1970s.The have to look out for our citizens, but we
months,” she says. in these attractions prior to the pan- HELPING COMPANIES TO ADAPT to Reactivate Tourism | Build the Future market represented 2.5 million hotel work in a sector that relies on free mobi-
demic,” explains Rita Marques. The government is to launch the pro- - Supporting Companies. nights in 2019. lity of people and goods, and that means
VALUING NATURAL ASSETS It has also meant investing in Portu- gramme Adaptar 2.0, which is an Apart from recapitalising sector The minister declined to be drawn the rules for opening up for all the
A second strand to Generating Busi- gal’s historic medieval and Gothic cities updated version of the initiative Adaptar companies, this amount will also include into speculation that the UK, after seeing markets need to be known, and we were
ness is the strategy to diversify tourism like Viseu, Braga, Bragançaa, Évora and 1.0, to support sector companies during a public guarantee to refinance and plane-loads of tourists heading for the surprised because at the time, we
within Portugal and in different regions Beja by making them more dynamic, not the last pandemic in 2020. Aimed at reschedule loans and extend loan repay- Algarve (around 30,000 from May 17), had met the standards that the British
and cities in the country, not just Lisbon, just in harnessing their history, but also micro-companies and SMEs, the pro- ment grace periods, as well as a credit buckled under pressure from local UK government defined,” she adds.
Porto, the Algarve and the archipelagos through regional gastronomy and cul- gramme has around €50 million to help line backed by government guarantees
of Madeira and the Azores. tural events. This proved a spectacular businesses adapt and modernise their to meet cash-flow needs, all of which
The government invested heavily in success when the birthplace of the commercial establishments in terms of aim to kick-start Portugal’s tourism sector
tourism attractions through a specific Portuguese nation state, the city of staff, management, suppler organisation and get struggling companies back on
programme run by Turismo de Portugal Guimarães, was European Capital of and their interior spaces to the new their feet.
(Portugal’s tourism bureau) in order to Culture in 2012. sanitary and social-distancing rules. The aid package will be distributed
meet demand. The programme ‘Valorizar’ The programme Valorizar has around A way of combatting seasonality is by across the wider economy linked to
– meaning to value the interior –, in- 800 projects that have been approved by making Portugal a business destination tourism and those segments which have
vested, for example, in extensive wooden Turismo de Portugal, with non-repayable for congresses, summits, conferences, been most affected.
walkways through natural beauty spots. cash grants originating from direct company team-building incentive trips The Secretary of State says that,
One example is the 8km Paiva Walkways revenues from that entity, while more and, of course, in the realm of culture regarding employment figures and statis-
which wind their way along the west than €100 million has been invested and sport by hosting international events. tics on company closures, the numbers
bank of the River Paiva in Arouca, Aveiro, since 2018 in such projects. In fact, the government has set aside a are fairly positive. “There are clear signs
and cut through one of the most lovely Another more recent example was specific fund to invest in events (€50 that, because of our joint efforts, most
and dramatic landscapes in Portugal. the inauguration this summer of the Rio million for companies that put on events companies and the jobs that depend of
“We invested a lot on tourist attrac- de Moinhos Bikestation – a cycling hub and €42 million in outright grants for them were saved.”
tions in the interior of Portugal to and cycle paths covering the picturesque cultural events) to attract the public to The fourth pillar, Building the Fu-
respond to the growing demand from Serra D’Ossa in the Alentejo region in a different cities. ture, is a long-term strategic one, which,
both national and international visitors. €100,000 investment. The president of “We do believe that the priorities are whilst depending a lot on what is being
Since the pandemic, these have proved Alentejo and Ribatejo Regional Tourism, there; they have been refined, updated to done in Europe regarding establishing
popular attractions. Covid created new Vítor Silva, said it was aimed at tourists take into account the current circum- mobility and travel through the European
trends as people wanted to avoid heavily who visit the area for a specific product stances, but we now need to boost the Digital Covid Certificate, also has a
www.essential-business.pt 16 www.essential-business.pt 17
Essential Tourism Essential Tourism
WORKING OTHER MARKETS
Overall, in terms of positioning Por-
tugal internationally, Rita Marques says
that, while the UK market is very impor-
tant, the country, the government and its
partners have been working on many
other overseas markets for many years.
“We’ve never stopped working with
other markets that are very dear to us and
have a very strong relationship with
Portugal’s Algarve and Madeira. We had
been marketing them significantly even
before this pandemic arose. Ten years
ago, the British market was dominant in
the Algarve and is still massive, but our
dependence on British holidaymakers
has been decreasing steadily year after
year,” stressed Rita Marques.
However, the Secretary of State
stressed that this did not mean the num-
ber of nights spent in accommodation
was decreasing. “The stays per night are TEN yEARS AGO, THE bRITISH MARKET WAS dOMINANT
still increasing, but the numbers of other
nationalities – the French, Italian and IN THE ALGARVE ANd IS STILL MASSIVE, bUT OUR
Dutch holidaymakers – are increasing at dEPENdENCE ON bRITISH HOLIdAyMAKERS HAS
a faster rate.” bEEN dECREASING STEAdILy yEAR-ON-yEAR.”
“Ten years ago, the pie chart was
dominated by the UK market. Today,
while the UK slice is smaller, the pie is
now much bigger as we have been grow-
ing in terms of the number of nights “The aim is to keep Portugal com- is adequate, our assets are extraordinary
stayed, particularly regarding other Euro- petitive and keep business coming in, and our growth (discounting the pan-
pean nationalities,” she explains. and this also means that Portugal must demic) has been sustainable.
Much of Portugal’s success in attract- market itself well in its target markets,” “Obviously we do require a specific
ing new overseas markets is partly down she says. plan to ensure the development of the
to marketing and being discovered over Still, she emphasises that even in the sector in such a way that we can meet
the past decade, and partly down to new pandemic year, Portugal was recognised the targets we had set out in 2017 by
routes being introduced by low-cost air- as the best tourism brand in Europe, so 2027,” she said at the ICPT and reite-
lines such as easyJet, Ryanair and others. “obviously we are doing something right, rated at the 7th Internal Tourism Forum
“Apart from Germany, France and we’re looking forward and we will con- - See Portugal.
Italy, we have also been marketing tinue to spread the word and send out
our neighbour Spain from where these the correct message, showcasing the best NOT SURVIVING, BUT THRIVING
tourists come by car. All the markets, we have to offer in terms of the competi- “Everybody is talking about the sector
including the UK, were growing until tion, which will be stiff in this phase of surviving after the pandemic, but I want
2020, and whilst it is true that the British reopening up the sector”. to see us thriving and setting an example
really do love the Algarve holiday expe- of how a country can develop all of its
rience and it is a perfect fit with a lot of REFORMING THE SECTOR tourism assets, both town and country,
repeat custom, we do need to diversify,” The Secretary of State for Tourism beaches and mountains, lakes and rivers
says Rita Marques. does not believe that the sector needs and in all areas: business, golf, events and
In June, easyJet opened up a new hub structural reforms, which is why there congresses, sand and sea, highlands and
at Faro airport with three dedicated was no mention of this in the govern- national parks. After all, we have so many
aircraft based there, and despite the ment’s Recovery and Resilience Plan assets to show for a small nation and
decision by the British government. (RRP), given that the sector already has that’s why we are the only country in
“That day, even after Portugal had been the investments from the plan to Reacti- Europe that has launched a specific
removed from the green list, eight flights vate Tourism | Build the Future. plan and budget for tourism to harness
arrived from the UK, so people are still “There are those who have called for those assets and provide reasons to visit
coming despite the perceived risk, parti- us to be part of the RPP, but I would Portugal and its contrasting regions all
cularly digital nomads, not on the same stress that the tourism sector does not year round,” concludes the Secretary of
scale, but relevant nevertheless.” need structural reforms; our governance State for Tourism, Rita Marques. 쐽
www.essential-business.pt 18 www.essential-business.pt 19Essential Education
Lisbon’s
new educational
visionaries
Entrepreneurs Chitra and Roman Stern are not just
developers. They are visionaries. Their latest project in
Lisbon is much more than the United Lisbon International
School. It’s an entire educational hub that has every
conceivable requirement covered
TExT CHRIS GRAEME
W hen Lisbon’s Mayor, Fernando
Medina, admitted he didn’t
know how to express “how amazing”
This is not just another international
school running on a well-tested franchise
formula, churning out privileged high
Lisbon’s United Lisbon International school students like some educational
School and Education Hub project is burger bar; this is a vast, all-encompass-
when attending its official opening in ing, long-term city investment plan that
April, it truly was that rare case of a promises not only to raise the bar in
politician understating the scope and terms of private education in Portugal,
ambition of a project more typically but will regenerate a large and currently
seem in municipal urban planning. rundown piece of East Lisbon real estate.
Chitra Stern, architect Eduardo Capinha Lopes, Roman Stern.
The ambition is staggering and we’re are more than capable of pulling off there was a niche demand for family holi- the Martinhal brand quickly expanded to
talking mega bucks, not just a few million the project. days in luxury surroundings. They took a €130 million investment in a luxury
euro investment from equity funds, but Who else in Portugal, in the middle advantage of distressed assets at the right family hotel and apartment development
rather a wholly privately financed €78 of the worst health pandemic and eco- time and started work on building the in Lisbon’s Parque das Nações under a
million project, which is both a master- nomic downturn in living memory, would exclusive family-friendly brand Martinhal new brand the Elegant Group, and a
plan and a forward-looking vision for dare to take what on the face of it seems in 2010, and its hotels in the Algarve, turnkey office block to house the insu-
what education in Europe can look like. like such a bold and reckless risk? Cascais and Lisbon. rance company Ageas. Then their eyes
But then, when you know the hus- Recognising Portugal’s potential as the settled on several large contiguous parcels
band-and-wife team behind the project, A DREAM IS BORN California of Europe – and this was well of land on which stood a defunct univer-
Roman and Chitra Stern, who have In fact, since the couple arrived in before the millions of tourists swarmed sity, several warehouses and '70s-style
always been nothing if not big concept Portugal, they have achieved several big in to make Portugal fashionable and industrial premises and attendant offices.
thinkers, you then understand that they ticket dreams. The first was recognising trendy worldwide from 2017 onwards –, A dream was born.
www.essential-business.pt 20 www.essential-business.pt 21Essential Education Essential Education
“My WISH fOR THE UNITEd LISbON INTERNATIONAL
SCHOOL IS THAT CHILdREN fINd A HAPPy ANd SAfE
PLACE WHERE THEIR CURIOSITy fOR KNOWLEdGE IS
ENCOURAGEd ANd CONNECTS THE LEARNING TO THE
REAL WORLd ANd GIVES THE CHILdREN THE SKILLS
THEy NEEd fOR TOMORROW.” (fOUNdER CHITRA STERN)
The first phase, the United Lisbon International Baccalaureate programme
International School, was three years in starts, it will include 10th grade and 11th
the making, from buying up the land on grade in 2023.
which the failed Universidade Indepen-
dente stands, and transforming it into a TECHNOLOGY FROM DAY 1
state-of-the-art school, which actually During the lockdown in the first
opened to take students on September quarter of this year, the school switched
14, 2020, but was officially unveiled by over to remote classes, using Microsoft
the Mayor of Lisbon on April 14 . School Teams for the older children and
SeeSaw for the younger primary school
TWENTY-TWO NATIONALITIES children.
Starting a school from scratch is one “We started as a school with online
achievement, but it is quite another to do students and classes because of the pan-
so in the middle of a pandemic. demic. So the pupils got used to online
As United Lisbon’s general manager learning, which in itself was good from a
Teresa Monteiro points out, “the most getting-to-grips-with-technology point of
important thing to realise is that many of view,” says Teresa Monteiro.
these students came to the school where “We were already equipped for online
they didn’t have any friends or know the learning, with many students still in their
teachers because of Covid-19. They were own countries attending the classes who
walking into a building with masks and were unable to come to Portugal because
in segregated sanitised classroom areas or of travel restrictions and other reasons.
‘bubbles’, and that was a big challenge”. Even children aged six were able to
“We had to make it as humane and do online and independent learning
user-friendly as possible, and what we by the time we had to close in January
can really be proud of is that the kids with the second lockdown,” explains the
really feel at home here. None of them general manager.
had previous friends or groups; they all Teresa Monteiro point out that learn- bility of Covid-19 transmission. Some the school, which only happened when have been out of the question because of “Plus, we have a coach from the
had to create their own at the school,” ing is very group activity based and hands subjects that require more time, such lockdown came,” he says. the pandemic. Portuguese Olympic Fencing team teach-
she explains. on. “It’s not like in the past when pupils as art or in the science laboratory, are The school has a ratio of 6.5 students However, as things get back to nor- ing our pupils. We have the Academy
Since opening, the school has en- had to look at a teacher in front of a double periods. per teacher. This way, it can achieve very mal, the school’s pupils will benefit from of Dance giving lessons to pupils in
rolled 151 pupils from 22 nationalities, board for 45 minutes; the attention span “We had five bubbles with groups of individualised learning. “We have a psy- a number of partnerships it has made our school. We also partner with the
of which 25% are Portuguese and 75% is larger because they are involved all four kids that don’t mix with the other chologist, and if a family has a child with with famous sports institutions. For Técnico[university] for rugby and music,
come from other countries. the time.” ones to avoid contagion, while the pri- some challenge such as Aspergers, she example, those keen to learn tennis will too. The reason why we decided to part-
The lingua franca is English, and José Azcue, Interim Head of School, mary school-age kids were completely will see if she can provide what we be taken to play at the Lisbon Racket ner with these academies and clubs is
having a basic knowledge of the language explains the typical day with pupils isolated from the older children in need. This would be case by case,” says Club. It also partners with the Sporting because if the pupils are good and want
in order to follow the classes is part of the arriving at 8am and immediately going to another adjoining building, as though Teresa Monteiro. Academy (Sporting Football Club) for to take the sports further, they can de-
enrolment requirement, although up to a Home Room, where they spend 15 they were in a separate school,” explains football and swimming lessons, starting velop to a competitive level, so we pick
the 5th grade (11 years), they don’t have minutes reviewing the previous day and José Azcue. PARTNERING WITH SPORTS INSTI- from the 2021-2022 academic year. and choose the best partners for each
to have a formal English certificate and how the rest of the week will run. They Everything runs in parallel. For exam- TUTIONS “We have one person in the school sport,” adds the general manager.
there is a programme to speed up their have four 45-minute classes in the morn- ple, when two ‘bubbles’ are on lunch, the Although the Lisbon international who is in charge of the sports curriculum,
level of English. ing, separated by a 20-minute break. At other two are on a recreation break. “We school provides four PE classes a week in who was trained by Sporting according to ACTIVITY FOCUSED
So far, the school offers teaching lunch, the pupils go to the refectory are very proud that, through these pre- the curriculum and a recess when pupils the Sporting Academy model which is a A guided tour around the premises
up to 9th grade, but in 2022, when the in their class ‘bubbles’ to avoid the possi- cautions, we did not have to close down can do playing-field sports, group sports franchise,” says Teresa Monteiro. soon reveals how extensive the school is.
www.essential-business.pt 22 www.essential-business.pt 23Essential Education Essential Education
Hub. They hired a consultancy firm to
help them set up the programme. Al- “WE STARTEd AS A SCHOOL
though the school has a capacity for 1200 WITH ONLINE STUdENTS
students, it will take three-four years to ANd CLASSES bECAUSE Of
reach that capacity, and they are confi- THE PANdEMIC. SO THE
dent it will.
“We know there’s a huge demand out PUPILS GOT USEd TO
there simply because of the sheer num- ONLINE LEARNING, WHICH
ber of site visits and inquiries we have. IN ITSELf WAS GOOd fROM
The school, the Edu Hub and the accom- A GETTING-TO-GRIPS-WITH-
modation have been thought out to meet
a niche demand and take away the stress TECHNOLOGy POINT Of
that parents, students and teachers have. VIEW.” (GENERAL MANAGER,
The business plan has been thought out TERESA MONTEIRO)
to cover every eventuality, and experience
tells us that, if you do that and meet
those needs and expectations, then the
project will be a success,” she says.
To make the school financially viable,
they have to have at least 30-40% capa-
“WE HAVE fIVE bUbbLES
city. Fees are competitive but don’t
come cheap, starting at €10,000 per Of fOUR KIdS THAT dON’T
annum and rising to €22,000. That MIx WITH THE OTHERS
covers the years between early childhood TO AVOId CONTAGION. THE
and year 12.
It is surprising to learn that the
PRIMARy SCHOOL AGE KIdS
younger students are very costly in terms ARE COMPLETELy ISOLATEd
Two interconnected buildings – one with “Some of these 3rd, 4th and 5th grade “We combine some practical manual of resources, but this is generally how fROM THE OLdER CHILdREN
three floors and one with five – are linked kids come from privileged lives and it was work with digital and use a lot of card- fees are structured. The big costs are IN ANOTHER AdJOINING
by a corridor. The classrooms are sound- interesting to see their perceptions. The board, string and recyclable materials, buildings and salaries and the school has
girls think that gender equality issues are 30 salaries to pay.
bUILdING, AS THOUGH IN
proofed and have large windows to let in but not woodworking yet,” says technolo-
plenty of light. Glass windows also over- important. For example, they could not gy integration specialist, Kyriakos Kour- “As an educational project, it is a A SEPARATE SCHOOL.”
look the corridors so you can see which understand why a woman doesn’t earn as saris, who originally hails from Cyprus. long-term project for sure, and one (INTERIM HEAd Of
class, age group and teacher is within. All much as a man,” explains US-national “We get them using Adobe CAD that is important for Lisbon as the SCHOOL, JOSé AzCUE)
the rooms, which are divided up into teacher Megan Kuemmerlin. design software and others so they can mayor stated at the school’s inaugura-
zones, have large interactive Promethian Kuemmerlin points out that environ- switch to different technologies and feel tion,” she adds.
screens. These zones can be adapted, for mental issues matter to them, especially comfortable with it. It is one thing to Chitra and Roman Stern put their
example, for music or art. when they see how it affects animals. craft something, it is another thing to own money into the project via bank
The grade 2 and 3 children are work- “They get upset because it is closer to explain why something broke and help loans and the help of one private silent live close to the school while applying for you get business. We just have to be
ing on laptops. The teachers wear masks home for them. They see trash all around them discover how to fix it, so the focus investor and friend from South Africa tax, social security and health numbers good for a few people. It's a differen-
because they circulate from building so that is something they can relate to.” is away from consumerism. Their glasses who had made it big in the tech sector. and opening bank accounts. tiated niche, which is what we did at
to building and class to class, but not The 5th grade is doing a project on food break, so I suggest we design a new one There are five building components A part of the housing unit will cer- Martinhal, which is great for families
the children, because they are already waste and what happens when food goes and explain that although it won’t be to the Education Hub and United Lisbon tainly be for university student and seeking that luxury experience,” says
in their ‘bubbles’. The children’s tem- bad. They put sugar on some, and salt on perfect, it will be functional,” he says. International School project: the school, summer camp accommodation. Some Chitra Stern.
peratures are checked every week while others, and then observe it everyday to which has two interconnected buildings, sections may be for boarding, although And on her hopes for the school? “My
the staff do twice-weekly self-testing see what happens to the food. Then they A BROADER PLAN student accommodation and a short-term the entrepreneur stresses this is not a wish for the United Lisbon International
using kits. discuss moulds. Chitra Stern is a relaxed, accessible landing pad for parents, teachers and typical Swiss or English boarding school, School is that children find a happy and
A long corridor with an activity wall When it comes to the science labs, and simply dressed woman. As she points even diplomats, and an indoor sports but an urban education space with safe place where their curiosity for
has United Nations and wildlife images forget dark-panelled rooms with wooden to the master plans dotted around the academy building with an entertainments accommodation that would appeal to knowledge is encouraged and connects
with notes and thoughts in crayon benches, brown rubber gas tubes at- walls of the project’s operations centre auditorium. the 17 and 18-year-olds who are used to the learning to the real world and gives
scribbled beneath in Chinese, Russian tached to Bunsen burners and glass bot- overlooking the school buildings, she “We’re designing a residential build- independent living. the children the skills they need for
and Portuguese. tles full of coloured crystals and powders. makes the sheer size of the project sound ing as multi-purpose accommodation for The accommodation will have two- tomorrow.
This was a provocation activity called That was the '70s and '80s. effortless. education. There will be some small bedroom flats, micro-accommodation and “We want it to become the leading
‘Think, See, Wonder’. Children looked at Today the labs are colourful, light and “If someone had told me five years apartments as landing pads for teachers, student accommodation aimed at univer- international school in Portugal and, to-
pictures of African fishermen, Indian boast 3D printers, and using digital tech- ago that I would be embarking on this young embassy and other families whose sity students, 17/18-year-old pre-univer- gether with the Education Hub, become
farmers, refugees, sea birds affected by nology is the norm for designing simple project, I could never have imagined it,” children are enrolled,” says Chitra Stern, sity school pupils and even teachers. an educational campus that will comprise
an oil spill and wrote whatever they saw items from school merchandise, key- she admits. who says that, having brought up four “We really looked at this project as a many elements that will contribute
and thought before trying to explain and rings, badges and logos to even fixing the The school is part of the Sterns’ inter- children, she knows the importance of differentiator, from every angle. If you towards the education of the students at
put it into English. broken temples of eye glasses. national vision for education and Edu finding a convenient temporary place to offer the right things, there’s no doubt the school,” concludes Chitra Stern. 쐽
www.essential-business.pt 24 www.essential-business.pt 25You can also read
