Elidérico Viegas founded AHETA, the Association of Hotels and Tourist Developments of the Algarve
The Algarve is mourning the loss of one the main figures of its tourism industry, Elidérico Viegas, who passed away on Thursday (November 7) at the age of 74.
Viegas founded AHETA, the Association of Hotels and Tourist Developments of the Algarve, which he led as president for 26 years, in 1995, acting as the main voice representing the hotel industry in the region.
AHETA, now led by Hélder Martins, has already lamented its founder’s death.
“His legacy and dedication to our association and community is unmeasurable and will be remembered fondly and gratefully by all of us,” the association said in a statement.
His funeral will take place this Friday morning (November 8) at the São Luís church in Faro, at 10am.
Elidérico Viegas was born into a humble family of farmers in Paderne, a small village nestled in the rural heart of Albufeira.
His early education was grounded in Faro at Faro’s Industry and Commerce School, now known as Tomás Cabreira. After completing his studies in commerce, Viegas ventured into the tourism industry at a young age, attending the Escola Hoteleira do Algarve (Algarve Hotel School), at a time when the industry was still in its infancy in the region.
Starting as a receptionist, Viegas quickly rose through the ranks, taking on roles such as front-desk manager, assistant director, and eventually hotel director. He then pursued advanced studies in Hotel Management. At 25, Viegas ventured into tourism entrepreneurship, a step that would open doors for him in both regional and national tourism organisations.
One of his greatest focuses was on the development of Praia da Oura in Albufeira, where he worked tirelessly for more than three decades to elevate its status. However, Viegas was known to be outspoken in his disappointment over the area’s decline into a destination for late-night excesses, attributing it to a lack of foresight and investment by certain industry players. To him, Praia da Oura represented what the Algarve’s tourism could have been at its finest, and he regretted the loss of its original charm and quality.
Beyond his contributions to tourism, Viegas was active in several business associations in the Algarve and throughout Portugal. His work also extended internationally, serving as the Honorary Consul of Poland in the Algarve.
As the Resident confirmed in its many interviews with Elidérico Viegas over the years, he was also a man who was never afraid to speak his mind and never shied away from speaking to the press.
In fact, his knack for saying it like it is ended up costing him his position at AHETA after a bombastic interview with i newspaper in 2021, in which he tore into everything from the legitimacy of the World Travel Awards to the devastating impact that the Covid-19 pandemic was having on the hotel and tourism industry in the Algarve at the time.
His defence of the Algarve, even at his own cost, will certainly be one of the things he will be best remembered for.
This post was originally published on here
