Thousands of Spanish tourists, numbering between 30,000 and 40,000 annually, visit the themed park located in the historic center of this town in Aveiro district and Porto Metropolitan Area. The park covers an area of approximately 60,000 square meters each edition and is animated daily by a team of around 350 technicians, professionals, performers, and vendors.
The site and its programming involve an investment of 1.1 million euros, supported by the Feira Municipality and executed by the municipal company Feira Viva, drawing a large number of visitors from Galicia, especially during the first weekends of December, coinciding with Spanish holidays on the 6th and 8th of the month.
“Since last Thursday and until the next Tuesday, two officers from the Vigo Commissioner of the Spanish National Police are in Santa Maria da Feira to attend Perlim. This initiative is the result of a partnership between the Portuguese PSP National Directorate and Madrid’s International Cooperation Division, under the transnational European Commissions project,” an official from Feira Municipality disclosed to Lusa.
Considering that, out of the 120,000 visitors Perlim welcomed in the 2024 edition, about 35% were Spanish, the presence of the Spanish police at the park aims to enhance the experience for visitors from Spain, particularly first-timers.
Accompanied by a local PSP officer, the Spanish agents, dressed in uniforms and using vehicles from their police force, engage in activities such as welcoming visitors, promoting best practices for access and circulation, and suggesting shows and complementary activities.
“They even offer small souvenirs to children which they brought from Spain,” the Feira source highlighted.
The same cooperation program that enabled the presence of Spanish agents at Perlim also included initiatives with police authorities from France, where recently, elements from Feira’s PSP aimed, above all, at sharing professional experiences.
The costs for the accommodation and meals of the Spanish agents in the Portuguese municipality are borne by the PSP national directorate, with the Municipality providing a specific vehicle for their travel between temporary accommodation and the Feira police station.
“Although the goal is primarily awareness rather than active intervention, these two officers are authorized to carry weapons on Portuguese territory whenever they are on duty,” the municipality stressed.
