Timeshare Holiday Planning - Algarve, Portugal

inspectorperez

Just starting this thread looking for advice/ideas after reading this morning that the Algarve area of Portugal is not expecting to re-open for foreign tourists until April 2021. The source of this information is a gentleman called Elderico Viegas who is Head of the Association of Algarve Hotels and Tourism Enterprises as reported in a local newspaper. Whilst it does not carry the weight of an official statement from the Portuguese government, I think it is reasonable to assume that  a person in such a position would not make such a statement if it was not true.

My wife and I own 2 weeks timeshare in the Algarve and have been going there with our family for many years since the late 80's. After so many years we have got into a routine so last year for instance we booked Easyjet flights to Faro more or less as soon as we returned to the UK from our summer 2019 vacation. I also pay management fees 1 year in advance, so 2020 is paid for. The timeshare company also offer beneficial payment terms for early payment and I would ordinarily be looking to pay for 2021 towards the end of next month.

Clearly it would appear that a 2020 summer visit is out of the question.

Not being a member of an exchange organisation and with no intention of joining one, it looks like we will potentially lose out on our 2 weeks holiday this year as well as forfeiting the costs of our booked flights. Maybe all Easyjet flights to Faro in the summer will be cancelled and that may provide an opportunity to rebook for 2021. Maybe the timeshare company will rent out our weeks to Portuguese holiday makers and give us credit (I haven't asked the question yet)?

If there is anyone reading this thread who is in the same sort of dilemma, and maybe has already firmed up on a plan, I would be very interested to hear comments.

Thank you

TELLIT01

Management fees will continue to be due.  The complex still needs to be managed and maintained.  Whether or not Easyjet will either refund flight costs or allow flights to be rebooked for next year is a decision only they can make.  If flights are cancelled you will be entitled to a full refund.

TadleyBaggie

I have two weeks in Carveiro in May, we weren't going to use them this year so I deposited them with Dial An Exchange, so I can now use those weeks sometime in the future. I doubt there will much rental demand, I tried to do that last year and got no luck.

eDicky

Sr Viegas may actually believe that, or may be angling for government handouts for his industry, but the European Commission has other ideas...

BBC News - We will have summer tourist season, promises EU

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-52644816

Alan_Bowen

The EU is looking at domestic tourism, they don't want tourists from countries with the levels of virus that we have. Spain, for example, has just introduced a 14 day quarantine period ending any prospect of holidays until that period ends. Some timeshare companies are offering to move dates to later in the year but that depends on demand from those who would normally travel in the offseason, it is certainly worth asking. In truth, many people will choose not to travel with the thought of 4-hour check-ins, compulsory health checks and no effective insurance cover for Covid 19 so I suspect the availability may not be too bad

inspectorperez

Just a follow up to my original post if anyone is interested. MGM Muthu emailed me this morning to confirm that if we can't use our summer weeks, we can reschedule them when it is safe to do so. Can't really ask for more than that so full marks to them!!