Portugal’s most important tourism region, the South coast is alarmed: In the case of the previously most loyal and important guests, the British, fell in July for the first time in a long time, the number of Hotel-Nights.
A short dip in growth or a harbinger of a longer downturn? Portugal tourism experts are concerned at the at July, surprisingly, to a reduction in the number of overnight Stays of British guests in Hotels in the Algarve. The drop of almost 13 percent compared to the June 2016 the regional hotel Association AHETA to pay for the consequences of Brexit. And the fear that the negative trend could strengthen in the immediate future.
The Association’s President, Elidérico Viegas, the decline in demand among tourists from the UK had been foreseeable. Finally, the rate of the British pound against the Euro have outlet declined since the decision to the EU by around 15 percent. This will have to change holidays, from the English in a popular country like Portugal, according to more expensive. Viegas refers to official information from the United Kingdom, according to which, already in may, almost five per cent fewer Britons travelling abroad were gone.
Algarve is the case with other nationalities becoming more and more popular
The alarm bells are ringing in some of the tourism professionals on the South coast of Portugal, very loud, because the UK has for decades been one of the most important countries of origin of Algarve-tourists. The British made so far, for almost half of the Nights in the Hotels of the South coast. In an Interview shortly before the July Numbers Desidério Silva, President of the tourism Association of the Algarve, was still assumed that even a progressive Brexit will not change very much: “The Algarve is loved by the British and is a very strong brand – both for the tourists as well as the professional Working here.”
The Hotels in the Algarve registering the first drop in guests from the United Kingdom.
Even if there are less British were coming, would travel more tourists from other countries to the Algarve, had calmed down Silva. This is indeed the case, especially in the case of the French and the Germans. According to hoteliers ‘ Association AHETA, the number of Hotel-Nights spent by German Algarve travelers rose in July by almost twelve percent.
More overnight Stays in the first half of the year
In the official tourism statistics for January to June of 2017, an increase of 5.8 percent in the Overnights is still British holidaymakers registered – not just in the Algarve but in the whole of Portugal. German tourists were even for a growth of nine per cent. In the case of Spaniards and Frenchmen, there were just five percent more overnight Stays in Portugal. Particularly high growth rates in the first six months of this year were the number of overnight Stays by travellers from Brazil (55 percent), Poland (plus 36 per cent) and the USA (plus 31 percent).
Overall, the tourism Boom continued in the first half of 2017 in Portugal. According to the statistics office INE, there were almost twelve percent more Nights spent by foreigners. Revenue rose by nearly 19 percent, reflecting increased prices. The Algarve registered in the Nights spent by foreigners, an increase of nine percent.
Other nationalities made up for the Brits-Minus in the Algarve. A new direct Beijing-Lisbon also brings more and more Chinese to Portugal.
Recently, Portugal’s statistics Agency, had been submitted to INE their official evaluation for the entire tourism year 2016. After that, the Algarve has remained with almost a third of all Nights, is the undisputed frontrunner. Place two of the capital region, Lisbon is ranked, with 24.9 percent.
Looking back on 2016
A total of 21.3 million guests and 59.4 million overnight Stays were recorded across the country – an increase of eleven percent. Revenues increased in the past year, to 3.1 billion euros. The plus of 18.1 percent compared to 2015.
In Portugal overnight foreign travellers in 2016, were most strongly represented in the British (22.9%), German (13.9 percent), France (10.6 per cent) and Spain (10.3 per cent). Especially the tourists from France impressed in Portugal: Their overnight Stays increased in 2016 to a fifth. The German guests increased the number of their overnight Stays in Portugal to 11.6 percent. Lower growth in the last year, the British and the Spaniards.