Newspaper interview by Paulo Jorge Pereira in last 14/06/2015:  "Económico" Diary Journal

https://economico.sapo.pt/noticias/turismo-diferente-num-hostel-sem-medo-da-crise_220398.html

"Different tourism in Hostel without fear of crisis"

They call it a new concept of tourism and combine life experiences in a way they expect to be successful.

The 'Ohana - Hawaiian word meaning "family" - Hostel opened on 2 May in Costa de Caparica, five minutes from the beach, includes three services that complement each other - supper club, hotel and activities - and has a quartet in the lead : Barbara Alves is 28 years old, has been a journalist since he started traveling dream was to "open a hostel and share experiences." Not emigrated to Africa or Brazil because "the family of proximity and friends always spoke louder"; Carlos Barreta, her boyfriend, 30, is a civil engineer - worked as a branch of activity between Mozambique, Belgium, Germany and Qatar, but dropped this life for the project after noticing that emigration the "deprived of what prizes: family and friends "; Catarina Nunes, 29, is a pharmacist and, as he believes "the potential for Portugal," believes that this "is the ideal country to live"; Filipe Baptista, 28, is another civil engineer, spent six months in Germany, studying cooking and has published a book based on its revenue blog: ". A sprinkled like flavored"

It Barbara who tells the story on behalf of the quartet: "We all love to travel and meet new people," he explains. "A lot of times, always in the game, we talked about having a deal, something that made us feel fulfilled and for which we did not have to be accountable. The idea of ​​opening a hostel came naturally when we started to realize us that there was no accommodation of this type sufficient in Costa de Caparica, especially during the summer, "he says.
Back in time, it is not difficult to place the context. "At the time Carlos was still working in Belgium and created a group on Whatsapp, which began to emerge the first ideas. The big problem was the fact that none have training in tourism, but that would not make us retreat or give up. "

Nor is the crisis caused them to hesitate? "Never made us tremble. We studied very well the project and everything has been researched and analyzed. Portugal needs people fearless and adventurous. Of course, when we start to look at the bureaucracy, we realized why so many entrepreneurs give up. But creating the ' Ohana was a dream of ours. Something we wanted really! have undertaken us, we turned back to the crisis and roll up our sleeves ... the crisis gets us not fear! "
About three business strands of 'Ohanna begins by noting: "In Hostel we aim to welcome travelers from around the world, the so-called' Backpackers', provide them with the best stay possible, integrating them and helping in whatever they need . offer - and for us this is critical - a personalized service to each guest to make them feel special, after all, we are all different, with different tastes and desires In the 'Ohana we value these differences and foster interaction and sharing of experiences between.. travelers ", emphasizes.

The 'Ohana Activity states that it "intended to enrich the journey. Through activities of packs, including surfing, bodydoard, diving, tours, gastronomic routes and others." In this sense "were established some partnerships with specialized companies in order to always provide the best service."

As for the 'Supper Club', Barbara smiles while pointing: "It's what we like to call 'secret restaurant' In partnership catering company Waterproof art, which belongs to Philip and his cousin, Chef Louis Patrick, they were. created several tasting events and workshops' theme. The idea is to provide author of food for the price of normal meals. "

Waiting Visitor's "28 beds in five bedrooms furnished with bunk beds. Two bathrooms remodeled give support to warm and cool rooms. With access to a recreation room and a fitted pantry, travelers still have available a swimming pool that is ready throughout the year to enjoy the warmer days and even colder in the case of the bravest. "

In the future, the objectives are outlined. "In the long term the idea is to expand the business nationwide, forever tourist destinations. The international market is also by our plans. We realize that it is a very competitive market and where it will be very difficult for us to make us notice. but we have proved to many people that nothing is impossible! "