TOURISTS TOUCH DOWN IN MADEIRA AS INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS RESUME

A number of major airlines from across Europe have restarted their flight schedules to the award-winning island of Madeira after it announced that it is welcoming international travel.

The UK, Portugal, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Holland and Spain are among the first countries to resume their flights to Madeira, with airlines such as Easyjet, TAP Portugal, Tui, Jet2, Lufthansa and British Airways jetting off to the stunning island.

Flights connecting Madeira Airport to the archipelago’s eastern-most island, Porto Santo, have also resumed with Binter and TAP Portugal both making the 20-minute flight between the two.

The islands – which were last year hailed as the ‘world’s best emerging golf destination’ at the World Golf Awards, and as Europe’s ‘leading island destination’ for the fourth successive year, as well as the world’s ‘leading island destination’ for a staggering fifth year running in the 2019 World Travel Awards – reopened to international visitors on July 1.

Prior to arrival, all passengers must complete the Regional Health Authority’s (IASAÚDE) epidemiological survey and will need to submit a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of departure, although, if they have not performed a test in advance, they will be required to take one upon arrival at Madeira Airport – with costs covered by the local authorities.

Incoming visitors will also be subject to thermal screening, even if they carry a negative test for COVID-19.

Discover Madeira, the consumer-facing brand of the Madeira Promotion Bureau, has been working with the local and Portuguese authorities to put plans in place for holidaymakers to return safely, with the “Madeira Safe to Discover” guidelines being stringently followed across the islands to control and prevent the spread of coronavirus and other possible infections.

Hotels, restaurants, bars, golf clubs and other tourist activities across the islands are also adopting the “Clean and Safe” stamp, created by VisitPortugal, which distinguishes tourist activities which are compliant with certain hygiene and cleaning requirements.

Madeira is home to three magnificent golf courses in total, with Santo da Serra and Palheiro Golf located on the mainland, and Porto Santo Golf located on the nearby island of Porto Santo.

The par-72, 6,656-yard (6,086m) course at Palheiro Golf – designed by Robinson – is situated within the magnificent Palheiro Estate, which is more than 200 years old. At nearly 1,640ft above sea level, the location enjoys dramatic views of Madeira’s mountainous skyline and the ocean, as well as – nestling below, just 10 minutes away – the island’s capital, Funchal.

The original course at Santo da Serra, dating from 1937, was redesigned in 1991 by Robert Trent Jones Snr, who created a new and spectacular 27-hole complex. The third and fourth holes of the Machico course are regarded as the signature holes, sitting atop cliffs more than 2,200ft above sea level, providing views of the bay of Machico, where Portuguese navigators first landed in 1419.

The 27-hole, Severiano Ballesteros-designed Porto Santo Golf is a short plane hop or ferry ride away. The par-72, 7,036-yard (6,434m) course, which opened in 2004, comprises two distinct nines. The southern route – a US-style layout – is dotted with lakes, requiring a long and precise game; while the northern route is atop fantastic cliffs, near the stunning beach of the same name.

A spokesman from Discover Madeira said: “It is fantastic to see tourists returning to our beautiful destination from across Europe. We are proud to offer a safe and relaxing escape in spectacular surroundings and we are looking forward welcoming even more visitors over the coming months as more services resume.”

Located approximately 1,000km from the European mainland – and just 500km from the African continent – Madeira enjoys an amazingly mild climate, ranging from 25°c in the summer to 17°c in the winter, with very mild average temperatures and moderate humidity, making it the perfect year-round destination for a golf break.

The best way to enjoy the archipelago’s golf is with a Madeira Golf Passport – available from most hotels and the golf clubs – which entitles the bearer to five rounds of golf across the two ‘mainland’ tracks: Santo da Serra and Palheiro Golf.

www.madeiraallyear.com

ENDS

For all media outlets in the UK, the following information is important to include when running the above story:

• Portugal and Madeira have been omitted from a list of countries participating in an "air bridge" with the UK.
• Madeira remains on the list of required 14-day quarantine upon return to the UK. Britons travelling back from the island will be required to self-isolate for 14 days on return to the UK.
• All travellers from the UK must take a COVID-19 test prior or on arrival.
• Please see the latest UK government advice here: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/portugal

About Discover Madeira

• Discover Madeira is the consumer-facing brand of the Madeira Promotion Bureau, which aims to promote Madeira as a tourist destination to consumers and the travel trade.
• Madeira, otherwise known as ‘the islands of eternal spring’, is just a short, three-and-a-half-hour flight from London. It covers 740km² and has a population of only 260,000. On the same latitude as Morocco, the Atlantic archipelago has a sub-tropical climate, a rich volcanic soil and a unique eco-system. It is one of the only places in the planet where banana trees grow next to vineyards.
• Located approximately 1,000km from the European mainland – and just 500km from the African continent – Madeira enjoys an amazingly mild climate, ranging from 25°c in the summer to 17°c in the winter, with very mild average temperatures and moderate humidity.
• In 1999 the archipelago was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site and five areas have been declared nature reserves. The Madeira Nature Reserve covers a substantial two-thirds of the main island, where development is prohibited.
• The Madeira Golf Passport costs €360 and offers five rounds of golf at either Clube de Golf do Santo da Serra or Palheiro Golf. Plus, the courses will supply free transfers to and from the hotel.
• For high-resolution imagery, please visit bit.ly/AZ_Madeira.
• For more information on Madeira visit www.madeiraallyear.com.

For media enquiries, please contact Daniel Chidley on +44 (0)1730 711925 or email daniel@theazaleagroup.com.