The provisional data released by INE on the 2020 results of tourism activity “does not surprise the hotel sector and unfortunately go in line with what the Association already anticipated”, said today the AHP – Associação da Hotelaria de Portugal.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, AHP, the largest and most representative association of the hotel industry in Portugal, has been monitoring the impact of COVID-19 on Hotels and Hostels.
As early as March 2020, it had projected a loss of 7,3 million overnight stays and 800 million euros, until June.
But, at the end of last year, the scenario pointed out, based on the results of 2019, was even more catastrophic: 70% drop in overnight stays (40 million nights less) and 80% in income, accommodation and others, which equates to €3,6 billion less. This is only considering Hospitality (Hotels, ApartHotels and Pousadas).
And the results that INE released also show that, in 2020, among the various forms of accommodation, Hotels and Hostels stood out from the rest due to «even more brutal losses», with reductions of 64,5%, and 66,4, XNUMX%, respectively, much higher than those registered by local accommodation and rural tourism and housing.
AHP considers that "equally serious is the impact that occurs in the various destinations". As AHP had already predicted, "the biggest losses are and will be in urban destinations and the special impact on the main religious destination."
INE figures reveal that Lisbon had a 76% drop, Porto 72% and Fátima still suffered a greater hecatomb, with a 78% reduction in overnight stays, which was mainly due to the collapse of overnight stays from non residents: 88% less %.
Raul Martins, president of AHP, explains that «2020 was a bad year, we went back to the number of overnight stays for non-residents from 1984! But 2021 will not be better. The Hospitality situation is very serious and the support is insufficient, it is important to realize this».
«Hotel companies have been experiencing huge losses for a year, and, at this moment, they are not able to honor their commitments with salaries, suppliers and taxes. We cannot forget that hotel companies employ around 90 thousand professionals, which corresponds to 30% of all professionals in the accommodation and restaurant sector. It is a big slice that cannot be neglected», he added.
And the president of AHP warns: "if there is no urgent support, it will not be 'only' the hotel sector, companies, workers and families that will suffer, but the entire economy."
AHP has already requested the government to create a specific line of support for hotels and financial and tax measures exclusively aimed at hotel companies, as well as the exemption from the TSU, and meanwhile awaits urgent extension of the moratorium on repayments of capital and interest on the lines “COVID-19” financing and other bank credits.
AHP reinforces: «without the hotel companies there will be no recovery of Tourism, and Tourism can once again be the engine of the recovery of the Portuguese economy».
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