Her colleagues from the Michelin-starred restaurant ELEVEN in Lisbon are relying on more Portuguese people visiting the restaurant. ‘The foreign tourists aren’t around and we have to accept this reality,’ the 2 head chefs Joachim Koerper and André Sousa explain. In order to optimise costs and the profitability of their Michelin-starred food without sacrificing quality or identity of their concept, they had to adapt their menu, in order to cater for the tastes and requirements of the increased number of Portuguese guests.
An increase in local tourism is also expected in the neighbouring country of Spain. ‘Domestic tourists want to spend their time outside, where you can comply with social distancing rules more effectively. Bars and restaurants with terraces, small hotels, campsites or holiday homes are therefore very much in demand,’ says Marta Pérez Postigo, Head of Corporate Communication, PR & CSR at MAKRO Spain. When eating and drinking, Spaniards primarily place value on healthy, local and sustainable products, says Perez Postigo. ‘Therefore, we recommend that restaurateurs and hoteliers tailor their services accordingly.’