This year Christmas will be different for most families around the world. Some of us travel around this time of the year, either to meet family members and friends or to escape to warmer destinations however most countries still have travel restrictions or are in lockdown. 
I had hoped that by Christmas we would be “out of the woods” but unfortunately that is not the case. But good news are that most countries have started the vaccination campaigns, which is a massive achievement of those that dedicate their lives to protect us from this virus.

Christmas, and with it the end of the year, is a time of reflection, a time to look back on the past year, on our achievements and on what we could have done better. It was a challenging year, to say the least, and for those that lost loved ones, or their jobs to the pandemic surely a very sad one, but for us that made it through in good health, we can look back and be thankful.
I will be counting my blessings this year, this will also be the first year that I will not be offering any gifts or expecting any either, I will be happy with a nice home cooked meal surrounded by close family and the friends that will join. 

I would like to wish all our Partners and Members Happy Holidays and a good start in 2021 ! 
We are looking forward to a new start and some more exciting news. 

Maria Ines Amaral
Founder and CEO of Portuguese Association of Tourism for the Middle East