I have already covered much of this topic in the last week, but not said much about tourism yet.
Tourism is starting to annoy Madeirans, as the island is almost permanently on the verge of ‘full house’. So flights and accommodation are available and reasonably well balanced, but the island itself is not prepared for so many vacationing visitors.
So matters begin when tourists leave their hotels, mainly for daytime activities.
Car hire is big business these days. There are over 200 companies renting out cars now, with an estimated 13,000 cars available for hire. That’s a hefty amount of extra traffic that the locals have to put up with!
Parking is certainly a big issue. As is the quality of driving. Tourists hiring cars are from many countries of origin, mostly with subtle but important differences in the street or highway driving code. Roundabouts seem to be the main problem in movement. Legal and safe and considerate parking, are also issues. But not just for tourists , as locals often believe that parking in any adequate sized space is acceptable.
Tourists tend to head for the greatest attractions in insustainable numbers at peak times of day. This alone has created huge traffic congestion issues through irresponsible parking. For tourist buses, this has become an unbearable issue. For emergency services, it is a critical issue, when called to an emergency without space to pass through, the consequences could be unimaginable.
The government and local authorities are dealing with this by demanding paid pre-booking for the most sought after destinations, and additional parking spaces or limitations in some key points, and there is evidence that this is having some positive effect.
Hotels should be able to inform clients about avoiding peak times at peak locations, along with other safety information. I cannot say whether this is being done sufficiently.
For example, Madeira sometimes suffers difficult weather conditions, when the walking trails are closed. However, some tourists travel regardless and put themselves, and often others in danger.
Another fair criticism is the way some tourists treat our rare natural resources. Damaging plants and trees, fences, and barriers in a quest for an enhanced experience. Some tourists treat our nature trails with contempt, leaving litter and even used toilet supplies in places that are there to be enjoyed by all.
Another less common issue now is lightning fires for barbecues or other purposes. Given the serious fires we have experienced over many years, no one should be taking this risk, EXCEPT in a designated barbecue zone.
Another growing complaint is camping illegally, anywhere on the island. Madeira has very little authorised camping space, and although it may not seem to be anything other than an eyesore, camping in tents, and sleeping in cars is considered an ugly and disrespectful practice.
But by far the biggest complaint is the straying from clearly marked trails, or breaking through into restricted areas, often just to take a selfie. There are now hefty fines for those who risk their lives, and sometimes those of others, through pure stupidity.
The island has excellent professional rescue crews, very well equipped with manpower, vehicles and a rescue helicopter when needed. But nothing annoys the locals more than when these teams have to risk their own lives to rescue a tourist who doesn’t respect safety rules or is just plain stupid.
That’s a summary of the anti-tourist lobby’s main grievances, there are probably even more. And of course they are not always tourists, but one can hope that both locals and immigrants know better their personal responsibilities.
This is really a fairly new phenomenon in times of very high tourism, but it irritates immensely both locals and immigrants, who post their photos of the offenders or their crimes on social media on a daily basis.
Most madeirans recognise that tourist income is absolutely essential for the island, any many work directly or indirectly in the sector. Nothing should be allowed to endanger this crucial relationship.
The government and local authorities are finally recognising these problems, and finally new control measures have appeared frequently over the last year or so. It’s a shame that once again matters were allowed to get out of control and these measures were not put in place before matters got out of hand.
Respect for the island and others will go a long a way in healing this growing rift with tourists.
UPDATE: 30 May 2025
Since the extreme right formed the main opposition in the elections a few days ago, it is getting ridiculous.
Unworthy news items are making the headlines in the 2 local newspapers, TV and social media, is getting flooded with anti tourist photos and offensive comments.
A few days ago, 4 immigrants were found to be sleeping in a shop basement. Probably wrong, but worse than the 125 (May 25) Madeirans living homeless in the streets of Funchal? They rarely make the news, even though their drug addictions and other bad behaviour seem to be accepted as normal these days. Even local TV covered this insignificant story in the shop basement.
Camping in unapproved locations. Some tents on a mountain, one case of camping in the historic centre of Funchal city, another on top of a breakwater in Ribeira Brava. Wrong? Ugly? Yes. Newsworthy, no.
Some young men playing in the fountain of the Rotunda do Infante at night. Disrespectful, yes! Criminal, no! But it’s all over the local press and social media.
The media are playing into the hands of Chega, the extreme right that loves to hate foreigners and spread their evil racism message.
If this continues to escalate, then tourism will be tarnished because a few individuals do not respect Madeira in some thoughtless and sparse moments.
Jornal da Madeira, Diário de Notícias, RTP-M. Get a life … a meaningful one that is not aimed at trashing tourism and real people. Get matters in perspective! Madeira is in a golden age for visitor numbers. Try keeping it that way.
Healing Madeira 