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Algarve Resident online poll results 2011
Updated: 13-Jan-2012

For the second consecutive year, the Madeleine McCann case attracted the highest response from readers to our weekly online poll last year.

by INÊS LOPES ines.lopes@theresidentgroup.com

Nearly five years since Madeleine McCann disappeared from her family’s holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, the case still continues to attract widespread interest, which is reflected in the Algarve Resident online poll results for 2011.

A question relating to the case received the most response from online readers last year.

VAT hikes, tolls, crime and the economy were the other hot topics featured in the Algarve Resident weekly online poll, which last year attracted more than 10,000 votes, an increase of 25% on the previous year.

Every week the Algarve Resident runs an online poll asking readers to give us their views on the news from wherever they are in the world.

2011 proved to be an interesting year for news reporting in the Algarve, with stories focusing extensively on the tolls which were implemented on December 8.

However, and mirroring 2010’s poll results, it was Madeleine McCann who again attracted the widest interest from online readers, followed closely by the Euro crisis and the controversial tax hikes affecting the tourism industry.

When we asked readers in the May 20 issue if they thought the McCanns should be aided by the UK’s Scotland Yard police in the search of their daughter Madeleine, 63% said they should while 37% disagreed.

Later in the year, in the December 23 issue’s poll, we asked if Portugal should go back to the Escudo in the face of a Euro crisis. The question we posed generated the second highest response from online visitors with a fairly even response - 44% voted in favour of the old currency against 56% who said the country should remain with the Euro.

Tax hikes affecting the Algarve tourism industry raised significant interest and was the third most popular poll subject. A vast majority of people (76%) who answered the November 18 poll question thought fewer tourists would visit the region if VAT increases for golf and restaurants were approved.

Indeed they were, and we shall be here to report on the outcome of the 2012 State Budget measures and effects on the economy.

But considering a great majority of readers (80%) said they would be eating out less when restaurants start charging VAT at 23%, 2012 will be a challenging year for the restaurant industry and businesses in general for that matter.

The government is seen as unsupportive towards businesses during particularly tough economic times as was reflected in the results we had to our poll in the September 30 issue – 72% thought the government was not providing enough support to businesses.

Tolls boycott

Tolls came fourth in the list of the most popular subjects featured in the Algarve Resident online poll, down two places from the previous year.

Although throughout the year the Algarve Resident asked readers for their opinion on a variety of angles related to the tolls, it was in the December 9 issue that our poll question on the subject attracted the most response.

We wanted to know if readers thought a toll charge on the A22 of nine cents a kilometre was expensive. 82% thought it was against 18% who said it wasn’t.

Earlier in the year, in July, we asked readers if they would be using the A22 once tolls were introduced (at the time the month for implementation was September). Some 62% said they wouldn’t, 26% would and 12% weren’t sure.

But it seems the majority of drivers are determined to boycott the government move as can be seen by the dramatic drop in traffic on the A22.

Austerity measures hitting the population hard this year are an essential evil and while most tax hikes are seen as inevitable, the added expense for using the A22 is described as “abusive”, particularly when the Algarve’s EN 125 is a poor alternative.

Online polls from the Algarve Resident are diverse in their scope reflecting the nature of the news in the region at specific times.

A spotlight was placed on Albufeira in the first semester of 2011 for all the wrong reasons. The Algarve Resident reported on several muggings involving tourists in the city known as the Algarve capital of tourism.

However, an attack that resulted in the death of a British holidaymaker made the headlines both in the national and international press.

Briton Ian Haggath died in a local hospital on May 25 after being assaulted by thieves in Albufeira 10 days earlier.

Tourism leaders continued to defend the reputation the Algarve had won as a safe destination for holidaymakers but admitted that police reinforcements in the region needed to be bolstered all year round.

Due to the serious nature of crimes in Albufeira, police authorities vowed to crackdown on violence in the area and increase police numbers.

In the June 8 issue, we wanted to know if the violent attacks in the region had put potential visitors off from coming to the Algarve. A fairly even response was received – 53% said it had against 47% who were happy to visit the Algarve.

Other subjects that received a significant response from readers related to the state of the economy in general, beach safety, retirement in the Algarve, council cutbacks and tourist products such as golf and cruise facilities.