They arrive earlier, stay late, and many arrive from outbound markets that, until now, had almost no expression. Portugal is in fashion and the Algarve, the country's main tourist region, is gaining from it. The increase in average hotel prices, the decrease in seasonality and a boom in the real estate market are the most visible face of this phenomenon.
From the United Kingdom, news arrives that Portugal's popularity is growing and that Queen Elizabeth II's subjects are increasingly choosing our country for their holidays. O Daily Star newspaper assures that Portugal "is fast on its way to becoming Brits' favorite holiday destination" and that our country's notoriety has reached “a maximum of nine months”, according to statistics.
As you would expect, one of the most popular places is the Algarve, «known for its beaches and golf courses», according to the UK newspaper, but «vibrant cities like Lisbon and Faro they are also highly popular with vacationers».
The British taste for the Algarve is far from being a novelty, as the United Kingdom has been the main source of foreign tourists to the region for decades. In reality, in August there was even a drop of more than 16 percent in the number of tourists from this country who chose the region for their holidays., a decrease that, even so, ended up being compensated by national and foreign tourists, not having affected the occupancy rate.
In July, a decline in the British market in the region had already been noted, but, on the other hand, there was growth in June and, mainly, in May.
According to João Soares, director of the Dom José Beach Hotel, in Quarteira, and regional councilor for the Algarve of the Hotel Association of Portugal (AHP), the number of Britons who visited the region this year, «was more or less the same as in years previous years'. "We have maintained the number, which in itself was very high," he said.
Where the popular popularity of Portugal is most noticeable, considered João Soares, is in the operation itself. “Hotels are charging higher average prices, which has allowed to consolidate demand and reduce seasonality. Many people are choosing to book holidays in the region outside the peak of summer, to get more affordable prices», he explained.
In 2017, it was already noted that «from February» tourists start coming to the region in greater numbers and the existing reservations reveal that they intend to stay until later, «until the end of the 1st fortnight of November». In other words, the “dead” period of hotel units decreased significantly. «In general, hoteliers are satisfied, as there was an increase in demand and a reduction in seasonality», illustrated João Soares.
Despite being news in the UK, Portugal's popularity is much wider. «The French market is growing rapidly, more during the intermediate season, but also during the summer. There is also a greater incidence of markets that were previously very small, such as the United States of America, Asian countries and Brazil. More and more tourists enter Portugal via Lisbon and make a point of spending a few days in the Algarve», revealed the AHP leader.
Portugal and the Algarve are also increasingly seen as a good place to invest when it comes to real estate. Home purchases by foreigners have been on the rise in recent years, and in this case, the British have been a big help.
According to Luís Lima, president of the Association of Professionals and Real Estate Mediation Companies of Portugal (APEMIP), "there was a notable increase in intentions and questions" for the purchase of a house in our country, in a luxury segment, by British citizens. In «90 percent of cases», this demand is related to the Algarve.
For Luis Lima, this interest in investing in Portugal may be closely linked to Brexit. “On the day the British voted to leave the European Union, curiously, I was in London. And, at the time, I publicly declared that two possibilities were on the table, first of all a retraction of the investment, due to the devaluation of the pound. But, as happened with China or Brazil, economic uncertainty could lead to the purchase of real estate in other countries, namely Portugal, which seems to be happening», he said.
Basically, the British, namely those with more purchasing power, are taking the opportunity to invest in our country before the UK's exit from the European Union is a fait accompli, in what can be seen as a kind of “plan B” , to safeguard the heritage.
What seems more than certain is that the British (and tourists from many other places) continue to place Portugal at the top of their preferences and that our country and the Algarve will continue to be on the rise. «We already have many reservations for next summer, there is a demand with more and more advances», revealed João Soares.
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