André Jordan's body was laid to rest in the chapels of the Estrela Basilica in Lisbon on 10 and 11 February, from 6pm to 10pm. The funeral took place on Monday 12 February, starting at 10am, with mass celebrated in the same place. He then travelled at 11am to the Parish Church of Nossa Senhora de Fátima, in Almancil, where Mass was celebrated at 4pm, followed by the procession to the cemetery.

Known as the “father” of tourism, André Jordan came to Portugal in 1971 to create Quinta do Lago, a development that, 40 years later, is internationally recognised as one of the most prestigious developments in the world. After that, he was responsible for several projects, such as famous golf courses and, in 1991, created a new project in the Lisbon region called Belas Clube de Campo, where a residential community of significant size was successfully established.

André Jordan was born in Poland in 1933 and grew up in Brazil, where his family fled the Nazi troops in Europe. He had dual Brazilian and Portuguese nationality but lived in different countries before deciding to move to Portugal.

AHETA president Hélder Martins said: "This is an invaluable loss for Algarve tourism, as he was a man who did a lot for the Algarve. He was a man who continued to take an interest in tourism and the Algarve in particular, and it's a great loss," he said.

The president of the region's largest business association for hoteliers said that his meetings with André Jordan "were a lesson in life, because for him the word quantity never existed, but rather quality".

In 2020, André Jordan released a book, A Journey Through Life, in which he gave his last interview to The Portugal News. In his last interview, he revealed himself to be a visionary, where he pointed out various problems the world is facing, such as unemployment due to technology, but he also predicted the end of shopping centres, among many others.

André Jordan was involved in many civic, cultural and educational organisations and initiatives in various countries. He was also an advocate of women taking on more management positions, especially in the public sector, because, according to him, women are more linked to public causes.

Related articles:

Author

Paula Martins is a fully qualified journalist, who finds writing a means of self-expression. She studied Journalism and Communication at University of Coimbra and recently Law in the Algarve. Press card: 8252

Paula Martins