Madeira floods: tourists urged not to cancel holidays

Hotels on the Portuguese island, 350 miles off the West African coast, reported a spate of cancellations following the weekend catastrophe in which one British woman died.

Cruise ships scheduled to call in at the one of the most popular spots on the itinerary have been urged to find alternatives because 90 per cent of excursions usually offered on the island are currently impossible and may not be resumed for several weeks.

The regional president, Alberto Joao Jardim, who has been in power for 32 years, is said to have stalled the decision to declare a state of emergency on the island for fear of scaring off tourists.

Michael Blandy, chairman of the Blandy group, which has five hotels on the island and caters for the majority of British visitors to Madeira, said many people had been put off coming to Madeira.

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