Portugal Travel and Tourism Fair to go ahead despite Coronavirus

Portugal’s annual trade fair for the travel and tourism industry, BTL will open its doors in Lisbon despite continuing fears over the spread of the Coronavirus.

Despite decisions to cancel the Berlin Travel Show (ITB) which had been set to open tomorrow and continue until 8 March, and the Paris World Tourism Fair (12-15 March), the Portugal Travel and Tourism Fair (BTL) will, for now, open as planned on the 11 March and continue until 15 March.
“Despite the circumstances arising from Covid-19 and after sounding out various BTL stakeholders, it has been decided to hold the event set for 11-15 March,” states the AIP Foundation (Portuguese Industrial Association Foundation) on its website.
“BTL’s organisers are firmly determined to run yet another edition which will be a great success,” it states, stressing that around “1500 exhibitors from 67 international destinations” are signed up.
And despite the current circumstances, with the spread of coronavirus infections worldwide and the number of deaths exceeding 3,000, “Only three cancellations have been registered”.
Although the AIP Foundation will maintain the event, it has “made a commitment to adopt all measures that may be considered necessary together with the competent bodies to ensure the safety of the exhibitors and visitors.”
“So as to minimise the possible impacts from this virus, the organisation has launched a ‘Mitigation of Risks Plan” following the guidelines from the World Health Organisation and the Portuguese General Directorate of Health.
The plan contains information about the “precautions that should be taken in visible sites in the pavilions, disinfectant gel dispensers at the entrance and compound, medical services support and the dissemination of information and best practices to follow among AIP Foundation staff, all to minimise the potential associated risk from staff performing their duties.”