According to a report by ECO, the Association of Hospitality, Restoration and Similar Services of Portugal (AHRESP) has asked that support for energy efficiency be made available for the tourism and restaurant sectors, rejecting the hypothesis of a reduction in opening hours as part of the energy saving plan that the Government will present at the end of the month.

“After two years of the pandemic, with increased impacts on the HORECA channel [hotels, restaurants and similar establishments], the moment is of intense work. The season brought the much-desired peak in the activity of our companies, but which is proving to be insufficient for the recovery of funds, as the inflationary context and the rampant increase in costs is crushing business margins", reads the statement.

The association led by Ana Jacinto emphasises that it is “determining” that, within the scope of the Energy Saving and Water Efficiency Plan, “programs to support energy efficiency are made available, specifically aimed at the restaurant, similar and tourist sectors”.

The association says that companies in the sector “have implemented measures to reduce energy consumption” and adds that the “contribution of restaurants, similar companies and tourist accommodation to the 7% reduction in energy consumption cannot go through restrictions on the functioning of our activities, such as the reduction of hours, or any other obligations that prove to be penalising for our economic activities”.

AHRESP is also “fully available” to work with the Government and other partners, in order to “actively contribute” to the Energy Saving and Water Efficiency Plan.