Hotel occupation in Algarve

In general the results are better than the –30% forecasted last year, with the summer approaching all eyes are on the results for July- August.

Hotels and self catering apartments of three, four and five stars registered accentuated drops in occupation in May this year, compared to 2008. Globally speaking, there was a 13.4 percent drop in occupancy, with an average of 56.6 percent occupation.

Geographically speaking, the biggest drops in occupation were in Carvoeiro/Armação de Pêra (31 percent less); Vilamoura/Quarteira/Quinta do Lago (25.6 percent less) and Lagos/Sagres (14.2 percent less). The only area with a rise in occupation was Tavira, where occupation rates climbed 15 percent.

Monte Gordo/Vila Real de Santo António had the highest occupancy rate with 67.1 percent, whilst Faro/Olhão were the worst off with 47.2 percent.

Five star hotels and self-catering apartments felt the most accentuated drop in reservations, with less 38.8 percent sleepovers.

The British were the most common nationality of tourists, representing 48 percent of the total clients at hotels in the Algarve, followed by Portuguese (13.3 percent) and Irish (9.9 percent).

The total volume of sales dropped 17.5 percent compared to the same period in 2008

Source the Portugal news