Christmas Lights "Not a disgrace"

The secretary Conceição Estudant  (C E) of Tourism Transport and Culture has said "the Christmas lights are not a disgrace like everyone is saying, but they have not run to the expectations I had" after being forced to face the criticism.

PROTEST

A protest has been organised for Saturday 13th December on Facebook . From 7pm people will meet in the Municipal Square in Funchal, wearing reflective jackets and holding touches, the aim to show we want more shine in the Christmas Lighting . People will then march to the Tourism office on Avenida Arriaga. So anyone who wishes to come along and show how disgusted we are with Funchal's lights this year, will meet 7pm .

I have already had a few emails and comments on Facebook, as to how disappointed people are, and also the comments on the Diario website and Photos going round Facebook are pretty entertaining. 

A few comments I have received below, plus some of those Photos from Facebook.

We love Madeira and its people and feel really sad that someone thought it a good idea to snatch failure from the jaws of victory! Why mess with something that year on year has been amazing and increased footfall (and therefore spending) around the city?

We have influenced a number of our friends to visit the island because of our enthusiasm but we will most definitely not be promoting a visit to see the lights. Our very first visit nine years ago was end  of the year as a last minute break after a very busy year. We were absolutely blown away by the display and it has been a continuing "love affair" with a very beautiful and varied island.

Hope you have a good Christmas and a prosperous 2015

Hi Tobi

After my last contact we decided to just take the plunge and book our pre Christmas break and take a chance on whether the building works were completed.....after all we had the annual spectacle of the Christmas lights to enjoy.

Well, we were mightily impressed with the scale and engineering feat along the completed promenade  and credit where it is due for the magnificent achievement after the disastrous floods that made all this necessary! Photographs do not do it justice.

HOWEVER......the Christmas lights (or not)? We have never seen anything more pathetic or less inspiring and definitely not festive! I personally have a bit of knowledge re lights having co-ordinated my own town's display for over 15 years. No point in wasting any more words or time on this one because the evidence speaks for itself; you only have to look at past photos of Funchal (9 years in our case). At a time when they should be celebrating not only the successful reincarnation of the promenade but also the Christmas season the main impression is of empty coffers and a loss of will!

On a more serious note and having spoken to a number of business people whom we have got to know over the years, they are struggling. The recession and two years construction project has impacted on them. Footfall is most obviously down. Now is surely the time for some aggressive remarketing of the city and island with the message that "we are open for business and better than before". Sadly some experimental lighting scheme is either brave or plain stupid! Just goes to show that an artist's impression is exactly that!

In the past we have used our pre Christmas visit to launch us into our Christmas season at home but we will be giving it a miss now until this debacle is sorted out.

That said, we love Madeira and will not totally abandon this beautiful island which is why we feel so sad that Funchal has somehow scored an own goal particularly as it is for many passengers of the cruise liners the first impression that they get.

Hope you have a lovely Christmas

Wish I could be there to show my support, but good on you and everyone else for taking a stand against the horrendous lights this year. Madeira is not doing itself any favours for future years as tourists will go elsewhere in future years. The islanders themselves look forward to the Christmas lights and end of year celebrations and have been short changed big time this year. Let's hope the powers that be take notice and listen to the people of Madeira for once. I also hope that they make sure that the "very different" fireworks planned on New Years eve are not a huge disappointment as these lights have been.

Funchal Christmas lights

A big disappointment the lights in Funchal, they are as crap as we all believe, lots have already stopped working on the trees which is not good if they are all LED and new. The city looks very sad indeed as you can see from all the empty streets with no lights. The best are the white and blue lights up by the casino.

See all photos on my FLICKR PAGE

Had to share this that is doing the rounds on Facebook, I did see a comment on the Diario website someone saying they liked the traffic lights better....lol

Christmas Lights.

The criticism about the poor Christmas lights is growing and growing, people are saying they are the worst for decades. There is also a campaign to get everyone on Facebook who doesn't like this years lights to change their cover photo to lights from years past.

Look at the images below and see what you think, also just one screenshot from Facebook with peoples comments.

Christmas lights

Its been in the news, the papers are they are the talk of the Island, This years Christmas lights, or lack of them have been criticised strongly, and walking around Funchal you can see why.

We have a new front to Funchal, with nothing not even a tree to make it look festive, Municipal Square still remains empty, all the little side street have no Christmas lights or decorations. Below is an article from the Diario translated to English so its not perfect, but you can see what they are talking about.

lets hope by Monday 8th December Funchal is looking a little more Christmassy, but its not looking promising.

The Secretariat of Tourism of Madeira admitted today make "some adjustments" in public illuminations Christmas in Funchal, which this year are generating much criticism from the population due to lack of color.

Secretary of guardianship, Conception student, told Lusa agency that the project is "innovative and break with the past", acknowledged that "there will be, of course, those who like and who do not like" and stressed that "there will be things that can be corrected and improved ". "This is the first intervention in the new orientation. There will be a second next year and some adjustments are possible," said the official.

The Regional Secretariat for Tourism and Transport invested this year 1.19 million euros in the low lighting and amphitheater of Funchal, being the author of the project architect Paulo David. The first lights in the main streets of the capital of Madeira, were linked on December 01 and soon generated a wave of criticism, particularly in terms of social networks, due to lack of color, which has always been the lighting brand image holiday. This time, the predominant white, but Conception student says the project "is far from complete," lacking assemble many structures that have not yet arrived in the region, including those that will be introducing the color pink, inspired by the flower kapok this year elected to Funchal christmas tree.

On the other hand, there were delays and resistance from several owners to authorize the placing of hacks in buildings in order to draw the outline of the entire city. "I hope people will change their minds when lighting is fully completed, although be prepared for that, faced with a profound change from the aesthetic point of view, there is some resistance to change," said Conceição student, stressing that "the project was adopted" and "the risks were assumed." The official acknowledged that despite the bill's author be recognized internationally, "there is a gap between what is the design and the technical file in a document and then its implementation in the street, in the open space" so that "all this may come to be adjusted to your time. " Conception student did not indicate a specific date for completion of the project, adding only hope "it very quickly."