Funchal was the centre of attention for world table tennis from 24 to 31 October.
Two important competitions organised by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) brought some of the best players in the world to Madeira to play in the World Cadet Challenge Cup and the World Junior Circuit Finals.

The World Junior Circuit Finals for men and women included the players with the highest ranking in the different stages played during the season.

The World Cadet Challenge Cup was played by eight national teams from several continents – Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, North America and Latin America. The Chinese team, the great world experts in the sport, and the team from Portugal, as the organising country, completed the list of participants. This competition was also for both men and women.

The events were held in the Madeira Tecnopolo after an International Coaches Conference and the World Junior Elite Camp.

These important sports events were not only an excellent way of promoting the region, but also provided an ideal opportunity for the region’s table tennis players in general and for the five athletes who participated in the competition in particular.

Source: Madeira Tourism November Newsletter

Madeira participated in the first Atlantic Island Culinary Workshops in Madrid in September as part of the EU Interreg III - B Programme, Azores, Madeira and Canaries.
These workshops are designed to promote the traditional cuisine of the three archipelagos in major European cities and there will be more in the next few months in Lisbon, Berlin, London, Brussels and Milan.

The initiative took place at the Hotel Ritz and included a presentation to the local media specialising in food.

The Madeiran menu presented by Chef João Espírito Santo was Madeira açorda with limpets and prawns, scabbard fish fillet with guava butter and banana, pork tenderloin in sugarcane honey balsamic vinegar and Madeiran couscous and, for dessert, curd cheese cream with pitanga purée and papaya.

Source: Madeira Tourism November Newsletter

Following a workshop on Madeira in Budapest in September, the Hungarian tour operators have confirmed their interest in Madeira as a holiday destination. They will quite possibly be organising a direct charter operation to Madeira, which may begin this coming winter.

TAP’s launch of direct flights between Lisbon and Budapest may also serve as a gateway to the island, as the airline is offering reasonable fares with special prices for tour operators. This may mean that the Portuguese airline’s three flights a week to Budapest will generate some traffic to Madeira.

The local press also showed an interest, covering the event and asking for information about Madeira.

Source: Madeira Tourism November Newsletter

The organisers of the Eighth Congress of the National Union of Spanish Travel Agencies (UNAV) have chosen the archipelago for an event that will bring together several hundred representatives of the 260 or so member agencies in May next year.

The fact that the congress is being held for the first time outside Spain is partly the result of the strategy adopted by the Regional Secretariat for Tourism and Culture and of the visibility given to Madeira as part of the plan to promote the destination in Spain with advertising campaigns, tourism fairs and sponsorship for tour operators, among others. More than 150 delegates are expected to participate in the congress, in addition to the many other guests, including airlines, tourism consultants, and representatives of the autonomous governments in Spain.

The Spanish market has been growing in Madeira, as shown by the 26,000 visitors who came here last year.

The Eighth UNAV Congress will have a social programme involving activities such as a golf tournament, visits to Funchal, trips to Monte, cable car and basket rides and an excursion to the northern part of Madeira.

Source: Madeira Tourism November Newsletter

TUI Germany, one of the largest tour operators in the world, has chosen Madeira for the public launch of its summer 2005 brochure in a mega event to take place from 11 to 14 November.

The presentation will begin with a press conference on 12 November at the Crowne Plaza Resort Hotel. The delegation will consist of 150 people, including the chairman and directors of TUI Germany, about 120 German journalists and representatives of the Portuguese media.

This event will be an excellent vehicle for promoting Madeira as a holiday destination, thanks to the presence of German journalists, many of them working for specialised holiday magazines.

The launch is being sponsored by the Madeira Regional Tourism Directorate and will also include workshops, working sessions and leisure activities, such as walks, boat trips and excursions around the island for the participants.

Source: Madeira Tourism November Newsletter