The west bombs while the east sparkles, Algarve tourism figures just in

Portimão and Praia da Rocha suffered the biggest decline in overnight stays in the Algarve’s remaining hotels this February, with decrease of 15%.
The seldom cheery Association of Hotels and Resorts in the Algarve (AHETA) reported that the average occupancy per room in February was 34%, near enough the same as last year for these two tourist-dependent regions. In Lagos and Sagres the numbers dropped too, 3.8% down compared to 2012.

However, the booming, cheery and outgoing resorts of Monte Gordo and Vila Real de Santo António recorded an average occupancy rate of 65.2%, while Lagos and Sagres recorded what must be an all time low for the regions at 13.2%.

By nationality, the big drops were from Spanish and Portuguese tourists, followed by the British. Jovial Dutch holiday-makers kept the bars open though, showing the biggest increase in tourists enjoying the Algarve.

The areas of Carvoeiro, Lagoa, Silves and Armação de Pêra also showed small increases.

The main decline was recorded in 5 star hotels and apartments. The hoteliers association said that these figures refer only to establishments in operation and not to the dozens of hotels and apart-hotels that have gone bust, or have shut over the winter months.

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