According to ECO, the majority of hoteliers have reservations above 50% for the summer, which means that expectations for the high season are positive, according to the results of a survey by the Portuguese Hotel Association (AHP).

“The expectations of our hotel industry for the high season are very positive overall”, the executive president of AHP, Cristina Siza Vieira, stated at a press conference to present data from a survey carried out among members, on the prospects for the summer.

Regarding the month of June, 70% of respondents indicated a booking rate between 50% and 89%, and for 43% of hoteliers who responded, the booking rate was above 70%. Madeira stood out with almost all respondents showing a booking rate above 70%, followed by the Azores with 86% of respondents recording bookings above 70%.

For July, at a national level, 67% of respondents recorded a reservation rate between 20% and 69%, but in the Azores, almost all respondents indicated reserves above 70%, and in Madeira, 98% have reserves above 50%. In the opposite direction, in Alentejo, only half of those surveyed have reserves greater than 20%, this being the region with the lowest average reservation rate.

In August, considered the strong month for tourism, 63% of respondents recorded reservations between 20% and 69%, with the Azores again in the spotlight, as all respondents indicated that they already have reservations above 70%. In Madeira and the Algarve, the vast majority have booking rates above 50% for August.

Alentejo continues to have the lowest booking rates also in August, with more than half of those surveyed recording bookings below 50%. In September, more than half of respondents in the Azores (71%) reported booking rates above 70%, while in Madeira almost all reported rates above 50%.

In the Algarve, half of respondents have reservations greater than 50% for the last month of summer, while almost all respondents from the Center and 76% of respondents from Alentejo have reservations below 50%. Regarding the main markets, 73% of respondents indicated the national market in the top three places, such as the United Kingdom (52% of the sample) and Spain (45% of respondents), followed by the United States of America and Germany, to 38% and 31%, respectively.

AHP members were also asked about expectations for the main indicators of hotel operations, compared to the summer of 2023, with 89% of the sample responding that they foresee an occupancy rate equal to or better, with the Center and the Setúbal Peninsula being the most optimistic.

As for the average price, 76% of respondents expect it to be better than last year and, finally, regarding total income and room income, 68% of the sample expects it to be better or much better. The survey took place from May 20th to 31st and received responses from 378 tourist establishments associated with AHP.