José de Jesus Barreto, a businessman with strong ties to the hospitality sector in Madeira, has died.
Born in Mozambique and educated in Accounting at the University of Oxford, Barreto began his career in the automotive industry. His connection to the island strengthened with his father's acquisition of a gambling license, leading him to develop significant projects.
He was responsible for the design and construction of the Casino Park Hotel, inaugurated in 1976 and later sold to the Pestana Group. Throughout his career, he acquired and developed other hotel units and businesses, such as Casa do Turista, the embroidery factory Luís de Sousa, Lda, Quinta do Furão, Estalagem Quintinha de São João, and Estalagem Jardins do Lago.
His professional journey was recognized with several distinctions, including the Order of Tourist, Commercial, and Industrial Merit in 2004, the Businessman of the Year award in 2018 by ACIF, and the Autonomous Insignia of Valor in 2026, the highest regional distinction.
