Algarve Tourism is «clearly in recovery» and summer should be at the level of 2019

O Sul Informação spoke with Hélder Martins and João Fernandes

Tourism in the Algarve is «clearly on the upswing» and the expectation, on the part of businessmen, is that levels of demand and sales volume will be reached this summer at the level of those seen in 2019. Even so, there are still «concerns » on the horizon.

O Sul Informação spoke with Hélder Martins, president of the Association of Hotels and Tourist Enterprises of the Algarve, and with João Fernandes, president of the Algarve Tourism Region, who believe that the high season of 2022 will have indicators at the level of 2019.

On the business side, the AHETA has already revealed that, for Easter, pre-pandemic occupancy rates are expected.

These data, explained to our newspaper Hélder Martins, were gathered «in a questionnaire that we made to the members of AHETA», which showed that the expected occupancy, «taking into account the reservations, is 63%, with a margin of error of one percentage point below or three above”.

«Of course, the occupation varies from one development to another. There are some hotels that are almost at 100% occupancy. The most sought after are the five-star units», he added.

The national market is the one with the most weight in bookings for next week, followed by the British and Spanish markets.

 

Helder Martins

 

João Fernandes, who also points to “65% occupancy, equivalent to reservations for the same pre-pandemic period”, already this week, adds that, “for the Easter weekend, the expected occupancy is already around 90%”.

“There is also a very high demand for the week after Easter, because of MotoGP, in Portimão, on the 24th of April, and the fact that the 25th of April falls on a Monday”, added the president of the RTA.

Also in golf, «demand is high, from March to May, which is the first annual period of high golf season». Both the volume of sales and the prices that are being practiced are “very interesting”.

«In terms of prices and demand, we are clearly in the process of recovery», believes João Fernandes.

“Our forecast for the summer is good. At the moment, in terms of reserves, we are three percentage points above 2019”, said Hélder Martins.

“Lately, there have been a lot of reservations. I speak from my experience, in my small hotel. My daughter told me that the person who was at the reception yesterday spent the day taking care of reservations, not only for the summer, but also for the period right after Easter”, she said.

"The clear perspective we have is a recovery for the 2019 indicators", concluded the president of AHETA.

 

João Fernandes – Photo: Elisabete Rodrigues | Sul Informação

 

However, “there are also difficulties”, which introduce a dose of “uncertainty” into the equation.

One of them is the “great volatility of bookings” that exists today “due to the easing of cancellations introduced during the pandemic, which brings greater uncertainty”.

«On the other hand, there is a very positive sign, which is the growth of prepaid bookings, which clearly indicates consumer confidence in the Algarve destination. At the same time, reservations last minute are a trend that still persists, which can be beneficial», considers the president of the RTA.

Air connections from the United Kingdom are another concern, “due to the lack of availability of human resources”.

The latest outbreak of Covid-19 “has had a major impact on airlines and airport infrastructure, which has led to flight cancellations”.

«Another constraint with which we are struggling is the rise in the price of energy and raw materials, whose effects are already being felt», added João Fernandes.

Finally, it will also be necessary to understand «how some outbound markets, such as Germany, but also those closest to the conflict zone, in Ukraine, will behave».

 

 

 



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