U.S., March 17 -- How much worse can it get for the Portugal travel and tourism industry? What can a beach destination do to regain a reputation as a safe place for visitors?

A vacation in Portugal turned into a nightmare when 12-year-old Madeleine McCann asleep in a holiday apartment disappeared without a trace. It became the most heavily reported missing-person case in modern history. Madeleine Beth McCann vanished on the evening of 3 May 2007 from her bed in Praia da Luz, a resort in the Algarve region of Portugal. The case was never cleared up.

It was a disaster for Portugals travel and tourism industry. To protect Portugals reputation as a safe destination for visitors, Madeleine McCann's parents, Kate and Gerry were made suspects ...