Madeira clamps down on tourist misadventures with new rescue fees
The authorities of Madeira have implemented regulations that will hold tourists accountable for the costs of rescue operations if they provoke dangerous situations themselves. This applies to cases where holidaymakers on the Portuguese island ignore prohibitions. The cost of such, let's say, risky behaviour will be significant.
In Madeira, a popular archipelago in Portugal, new regulations concerning tourists have been introduced. Individuals who ignore bans or stray off designated trails, putting themselves in danger, will have to cover the costs of the rescue operation.
The authorities of the autonomous region approved this decision. The new regulations, effective from Tuesday, stipulate that tourists will have to pay for the organisation of the rescue operation, including the rental of a helicopter and the work of pilots and rescuers.
The cost of an hour-long operation using a helicopter and two pilots exceeds £1,050. The authorities of Madeira justify these changes with the need to introduce savings.
Exceptions to the new regulations
The regulations do not apply to residents of the archipelago. Over the last year, several rescue operations involving a helicopter have taken place on Madeira.
One such case was the rescue operation on 3 January, when a couple from Poland became stranded near a cliff close to Ponta do Pargo. Due to the tide, they had to spend the night in a cave, and rescue came only the next day, thanks to a rescue team from the neighbouring island of Porto Santo.
The new regulations aim to discourage tourists from engaging in - to put it mildly - risky actions and to increase safety on the island. The authorities of Madeira hope that this will reduce the number of dangerous incidents.
