Meet the winners: Turismo de Portugal

Lisbon: Representatives from Turismo de Portugal spoke with Routes in Seville after winning the Destination category at the Routes Awards for the second consecutive year.

Turismo de Portugal is the national tourism authority tasked with promoting, enhancing and ensuring the sustainability of tourism activity in Portugal, a sector critical to the country’s economy. The authority works closely with airports to identify market gaps, develop business cases and attract new airline services.

In 2024, Portugal’s airports handled a record 68.3 million passengers across 827 routes, with more than 90% of tourists arriving by air. During the summer 2024 schedule, 54 new routes were launched, a with 39 being new destinations. A further 41 new routes were added to Portugal’s network during the winter 2024-25 season with 26 new destinations alongside 11 new airline partners.

The 2025 summer schedule expands transatlantic connections, including a 3X-weekly Lisbon to Los Angeles International Airport route and 4X-weekly seasonal service from Boston to Porto, both served by TAP Air Portugal from May.

United Airlines will also enhance its connectivity from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to both Faro and Madeira. The Faro route, commencing in May 2025, marks the first direct air link between the Algarve and the U.S. Air Canada is also set to launch a new route between Porto and Montréal as part of its expanded 2025 transatlantic schedule.

Turismo de Portugal told Routes that its short-term strategy is to continue working closely with airline partners, tour operators and travel agents. Looking ahead, the tourism authority aims to develop new long-haul markets, with a focus on Mexico and Argentina.

Reflecting on Turismo de Portugal’s second consecutive win in the Destination category at the Routes Awards, Miguel Moraes, head of trade relations, said: “It feels very good to be recognized for the work we have been doing, and the airlines look at us as a trusted partner.”

Highlighting the importance of attending Routes events, Moraes added: “The meetings with the airlines is the essential part. This has been a great event which has given us the opportunity to meet all the airlines in one place. It feels almost like a big family here, so it’s been wonderful.”

300,000 rally across France for May 1, says union

Paris: Rallies across France for International Workers’ Day drew more than 300,000 on Thursday, including 100,000 in Paris, the CGT trade union said.

The authorities were yet to give a figure for the May Day marches’ turnout.

The rally in the capital was marred by complaints of violence towards centre-left marchers, with the Socialist Party (PS) denouncing acts of physical aggression towards its supporters and deputies.

Journalists saw protesters covered up in black clothing roughly jostling PS politicians and activists.

“Everyone hates the PS,” chanted the protesters, some of whom were carrying far-left anti-fascist flags.

The PS is regularly accused of betrayal by the radical and hard left.

Socialist deputy Jerome Guedj, who quit a rally against Islamophobia on Sunday after being targeted by anti-Semitic invective, had to be escorted away from the procession.

“They hit people and charged, throwing several farm bombs,” Guedj said, blaming anti-fascist activists.

Asked about the scenes, the CGT union’s chief Sophie Binet told television interviewers: “These are acts of violence which are not welcome in our processions.”

But nonetheless “this day of demonstrations was a great success, we’ve recorded 270 marches in all of France”, the trade unionist added.

The hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party sought to distance itself from the violence towards PS lawmakers.

“We do not agree that political disagreements should be resolved like that,” said LFI national coordinator Manuel Bompard, while asking the media to “stop imputing” actions to the party.

As in 2024 however this year’s Labour Day took place with France’s trade union movement divided.

Several unions, including the CGT, and youth organisations called for the marches to be “against the far right, for peace, liberty and social justice”.

France’s far-right National Rally party is riding high in the polls, with its candidate predicted to top the first round of 2027’s presidential vote — even if veteran leader Marine Le Pen is forced by the courts to step aside.

With the 100th day of Donald Trump’s second term in the White House just passed, Murielle Guilbert of the Solidarity union said the marches wanted to sound a klaxon “against the Trumpification of the world”.

The trade unionist said she did not know “a single worker today who is not worried about what Trump is doing and rising racism”.

Last May Day the CGT counted 210,000 protesters in France, including 50,000 in Paris, while the authorities put the total turnout at 121,000.