Lack of information and organization burns any destination image
Yesterday I got so mad about a situation that was preventing me from working that I have stressed out and unloaded on the policeman who was only doing his job... We were on our way to the marina with tourists/customers for an afternoon sea trip where we would ally the bird, dolphin & whale watching to Madeira traditions and would assist to part of the only boat's procession in Madeira. When we got on the last roundabout before the marina we were stopped by a policeman who was closing the road due to the procession. I have tried to talk with the policeman and explain that we were taking customers for sea trip and he should let us passed before the procession got to land (it was still at sea). He said he was only following orders and I asked his chef's phone so I could speak with him. The problem here was that there was no prior notice to the road closure. Thanks to policemen patience and attention we managed to go through and run our sea trip though my nerves where just about to explode!
- No promotion at all - have you ever heard/saw any advertisement to birdwatching in Madeira that was not done by Madeira Wind Birds?
- No information - the road to the marina continues all the way to Ponta de São Lourenço, where there is a recommended path by the Madeira Tourist Board. This weekend, both on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, whoever was going or coming back from that tip of the island was forbidden to pass and there is no alternative roads there. The only solution was to wait for more than 1 hour while the procession went up and down Monte da Piedade... We saw at least 3 big tourist buses and several mini-buses stocked there. There was no information at all from the Tourist Board or on the road or at the marina about these roads closure and this is not the first time it happens, as mentioned by one of the policeman.
