Faro Airport has seen its eight millionth passenger arrive, on board a Jet2.com flight from the UK that landed at 13.10 this afternoon.
This figure is higher than the total number of passengers handled last year as the airport has increased its handling capacity and has attracted more carriers and flights per carrier.
The bankruptcy of Monarch and Air Berlin has seen figures drop in the past two months but other airlines are gearing up to take up the slack through 2018 as the demand from tourists for holidays in the Algarve continues, despite recent sharp fare price rises.
The eight million passengers record figure primarily has been achieved through an increase in off-season tourism with the first months of the year showing good results, up 20% to the end of May, but the last quarter is being interrupted by the Monarch and Air Berlin failures and subsequent price rises by other carriers.
Elidérico Viegas from the Algarve's hoteliers’ association commented that a rise in air passengers does not have a direct relationship with occupancy rates in his members’ hotels as many more passengers travel to Faro airport from outside the Algarve, including from Spain and then fly to and back from a vastly expanded list of European destinations.
Viegas continues to moan about private local tourist rentals, or Alojamento Local properties which have been catering for much of the increase in demand. For a 10% increase in tourists, hotels have gained only an additional 2% in occupancy.
Viegas’s comments came as the overall occupancy rate per room in the Algarve during October was the highest since 1999 at 75%, up 3.1% from last year, according to his own figures.
According to the hotel association, the German market contributed most to the increase (up 4.9%), while the UK market was down 5.8% showing the biggest drop.
AHETA also points out "the increases from the less pronounced markets, namely France, Belgium, Poland, Switzerland and Ireland."
By geographical area, the highest increases occurred in the areas of Carvoeiro / Armação de Pêra (+ 15.3%) and Portimão / Praia da Rocha (+ 11.1%). Albufeira saw a rise of 3.9%. The only zone that recorded a decrease (-15%) was that of Vilamoura / Quarteira / Quinta do Lago.
To mark the milestone of the eight millionth passenger, Faro airport management laid on a celebration for all the passengers on the Jet2.com flight from Birmingham.
Alberto Mota Borges, Director of Faro Airport, said, "The celebration with Jet2.com is of great significance for Faro Airport not only because of the role this airline has played in promoting this airport and the region, but also because of the commitment it continues to make in increasing routes in the current winter season which solidify the efforts of the Airport and ANA-VINCI Airports to counter seasonal tourism that characterises the Algarve.”
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