"There are some cancellations that, globally, vary between 5 and 10 percent, especially in the period between 12 and 15 of August," informed Pedro Machado, stressing that hotels located closer to the fire recorded about 70 percent of cancellations. Examples include Casa Bento de Moura Portugal (Gouveia), with a 70 percent decrease, and Hotel Fábrica (Manteigas), with a decrease of about 60 percent, at the peak of the fires.
On the other hand, Machado stressed that "in the perimeter within the Serra da Estrela Natural Park, which was not affected, we are talking about 80 percent of the hotels, we have, for example, the Hotel das Casas das Penhas Douradas (Manteigas) and the Hotel Belsol (Belmonte) with an occupancy rate remaining at 100 percent.
According to the president of TCP, there are situations of hotels, in the case of Guarda or Covilhã, "which were far from the peak of the fires, and that practically maintain the same occupancy rates without cancellations.”
Pedro Machado also said that no hotels were affected by the fire, although some support equipment, such as walkways, access to river beaches and camping parks, had been affected by the fire.
"We now hope, through the joint work we are going to do with the Tourism of Portugal and the Tourism Secretary of State, a concerted action to convey to the Portuguese that, unfortunately, despite the 20 percent loss of the Natural Park, there are 80 percent that are doing well and that it is important for the future," he stressed.
The Serra da Estrela is being affected by a fire that broke out on the 6 August in Garrocho, in the municipality of Covilhã (district of Castelo Branco) and was given as dominated on Saturday, 13 August but suffered a reignition on Monday however, it was considered dominated on Wednesday night.
The flames spread to the district of Guarda, in the municipalities of Manteigas, Gouveia, Guarda and Celorico da Beira, and also reached the municipality of Belmonte, in the district of Castelo Branco.
After a joint meeting on Thursday, the municipalities covered by the Serra da Estrela Natural Park demanded that a "state of calamity" be declared due to the fire that hit the region, and immediate support to cover losses of "hundreds of millions of euros".