‘I’m filled with hope’: cash-strapped Algarve awaits return of UK tourists

People in Faro are relieved and excited but do not expect a speedy recovery from impact of Covid

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Tatiana stands by the counter of the souvenir shop where she works in downtown Faro, with little in the way of company besides the postcard racks, the shelves of trinkets and towels, and an all too familiar silence.

Only three customers have come into the shop so far today," says Tatiana, who lost her job at Faro's airport last October after her contract was not renewed.