In an interview with Lusa, on the occasion of the premiere of the documentary "Virei", which follows Portuguese and Angolan surfers as they discover the country's waves, Francisco Alegre Duarte – himself an enthusiast of the sport – highlighted Angola's exceptional natural conditions for surfing.
"The potential is immense," he said, recalling that he had the opportunity to discover surfing in Angola during his diplomatic mission.
The diplomat considers it essential to demystify the image of Angola as a "difficult, hostile and dangerous" country, often portrayed in this way in some films that present surfers as fearless adventurers in inhospitable environments, unlike "Virei" which does not intend to be a mere "tourist pamphlet".
"Virei", directed by Gustavo Imigrante, brings together on screen Tiago Pires, a renowned Portuguese surfer, Joana Schenker, world bodyboard champion, and Samuel Januário "Quintino", a young national surfing champion from Angola in a film in which the Portuguese ambassador highlights the "brotherhood" that was created between the three fellow surfers.
Francisco Alegre Duarte believes that the documentary could attract the attention of surfing lovers due to the "fantastic places" it presents, with "fabulous waves with no one around".
"This is every surfer's dream. There are those who pay a lot of money to travel thousands of kilometers to destinations like Indonesia or the Maldives and don't find waves of this quality, [on beaches] that are completely empty," he highlighted.
The ambassador also recalled the economic impact of surfing, saying that, in Portugal, tourism linked to the sport already represents 500 million euros annually and supports thousands of direct and indirect jobs. "Cities like Nazaré, Ericeira, Peniche or Sagres live essentially from this industry", he pointed out.
He therefore launched a challenge: to organize the first CPLP surfing championship in Angola.
The sport is well-established in some Portuguese-speaking nations, notably Brazil, a world surfing powerhouse, and Portugal, which is part of the international circuit with the Peniche stage.
Cape Verde also already has a large number of surfers and, although the practice is still in its infancy in Portuguese-speaking African countries, a championship could contribute to the promotion of ecotourism and stimulate the growth of the sport in countries like Angola, he highlighted.
"And here is also a way for us to come together, to help each other, to learn from each other, both in Portugal and in Brazil. This is a big business, a big industry," he stressed.
In a previous meeting with businesspeople this week in Luanda, the diplomat had already highlighted the potential of surfing.
"Portugal is a global tourism powerhouse, with large international business groups in various markets, including other parts of Africa, but with very modest levels of investment in Angola. Why?", asked Francisco Alegre Duarte, highlighting that Angola can create conditions to attract investors.
"Ecotourism and surfing-related tourism, for example, could be the beginning of the path to investing in this sector," he concluded.
