The President of the Republic said on Tuesday that he did not understand who systematically poses the scenario of instability in Portugal, counteracting the fact that security and stability are the country’s main factors in the foreign sphere.
This position was conveyed by Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa in a message that he sent to be read at the opening session of the VI Portuguese Tourism Summit, at the Champalimaud Foundation, in Lisbon, and which was heard by the Prime Minister, António Costa.
The Head of State began by mentioning that he could not be present at this initiative of the Portuguese Tourism Confederation as he was on an official visit to the west coast of the United States of America.
“The world it will not be the same as it was before the Covid-19 pandemic and before the outbreak of this war that we still live [na Ucrânia] and we don’t know for how long”, declared Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, noting that he is not limited to addressing the economic and financial consequences of the current international situation.
For the President of the Republic, “a geopolitical change” is taking place in the world, with “enormous uncertainty, volatility and unpredictability.”
But we know that this world values security more, and we have seen that here in Portugal with the recovery of tourism. We know that this world values political and social stability more, and we have seen this considerable competitive advantage. I do not understand, many times here, the systematic speculation with scenarios of instability”, said Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
From the perspective of the head of state, “when one goes out, what one admires is precisely security and stability, which they do not have and which they seek in Portugallook for classic tourism and look for life”.
“We have to know how to anticipate the future and that is what the Portuguese Tourism Confederation has been doing persistently. When so many institutions are in degradation, this confederation clings, does not give up, resists and moves towards the future, ”she said, before highlighting that the preponderance of tourist activity in the economy is increasing.
“Before the pandemic, there were those who thought that we had too much tourism, that tourism had to be thrown away. Now, without tourism, we would not have seen the speed of the economic recovery at the end of last year. and already this year in which the projections are what they are. Tourism remains one of the engines of the Portuguese economy and a strategic national activity”, he added.
Source: Observadora
