Hotels in the popular Portuguese region of the Algarve hope to open again in June although it's unlikely Irish tourists will be allowed visit.
Portugal has released its lockdown exit plan which spans over six weeks and sees hairdressers, salons and small shops opening as of today, Monday.
In two weeks time cafes, restaurants and secondary schools will then also open, before shopping centres, bars, primary schools and gyms at the start of June.
Resorts, like those in the Algarve, are expected to be allowed open again in June along with restaurants and pubs.
In a bid to reopen the tourism sector, The Algarve Tourism Board are allowing all registered companies to request a "Clean and Safe" stamp.
This proves that the resort is meeting all the cleaning and hygiene requirements enforced by Portuguese authorities for the prevention of coronavirus and other infections - potentially allowing them to welcome overseas tourists.
However it is unlikely that Irish people will be permitted to travel outside of the country at all during the summer months unless it is essential.
Irish tourists made in excess of 350,000 trips to the Algarve annually before the Covid-19 pandemic with tourism the main economic activity in the region.
