Speaking in an interview with Lusa News Agency on the impact of tourism on public health in Porto, Henrique Barros said there should be prevention measures, but also actions aimed at the tourists arriving in the city at places such as the airport, where there could be information brochures and assistance.
Tourism can be a problem of public health in as much as this can lead to an increase in some infections and so public health must do what it can to prevent this by creating conditions to “increase awareness”, because it is natural that in a city with a lot of tourism there has to be disease prevention.
Henrique Barros added that the diseases transmitted by sexual contact are not enforceable as this depends so much on the individual behaviour of each person and whether or not they want to take risks.
Regarding measles and the case that was registered in Porto that had apparently been introduced by a tourist, the likelihood of a repeat case was low, he said, but it could occur.
The north of Portugal saw an 8 percent increase in overnight stays in 2017 with more than half a million more overnight stays than the year before.