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Madeleine’s disappearance starts taking its toll on Praia da Luz According to reports in the Portuguese press this week, the Ocean Club Resort in Praia da Luz, from where toddler Madeleine McCann went missing last year on May 3rd, has laid off at least half a dozen employees following poor occupational rates, said to be half the number registered 12 months ago. At least six long-term employees have been contacted to negotiate the annulment of their contracts and respective compensation. Most of the holidaymakers there at present booked their holiday packages last year. Furthermore, newspaper Diário de Notícias claims travel company Mark Warner have stopped sending tourists to that resort, and in fact intend severing all ties with the Ocean Club by the end of the year. While the international economic crisis is being given as the main explanation for the drop in visitors, tour guide António Santos believes the ‘Maddie Case’ has also had an effect. “As much as people may argue to the contrary, it has contributed”, to the current state of affairs, he said. “Until the child is found, dead or alive, there will always be a feeling of doubt and unease amongst the English, who think there have been lots of errors in the way the Portuguese police lead the investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance.” He added, “Even many of the retired British residents in Praia da Luz are leaving”. Lagos GNR officers guarantee they patrol the area every day, but, António Santos says, “It is still not enough to transmit an image of real safety”. On the other hand, he stressed, “Portugal has become a destination that is too expensive for the English, due to the weakening of the pound, who have started to look to other destinations like Spain, Cuba and the Dominican Republic, which are more attractive and cheaper”.
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