Algarve hoteliers €96 million short due to UK tourist downturn

German, Dutch and Irish tourists compensated for a downturn in the number of UK holidaymakers last year- the Algarve’s hoteliers’ association chief blames Brexit.

 

Higher hotel room prices pushed hotel revenues to €1 billion, up 9.4%, despite the British ‘no show’ but the AHETA’s president, Elidérico Viegas, blames Brexit for holidaymakers "saving their money and staying at home."

 

Viegas blames the “worry about the impact of the pending exit from the European Union on the UK economy and jobs,” and sterling losing almost 15% against the euro in a year and a half.

 

"From June (after Article 50 triggered the Brexit process on March 29th), the British market declined significantly, with values ​​below the average of the previous five years. In cumulative terms, there was an 8.5% drop in occupancy compared to 2016," said Viegas.

 

“In January 2017, the decline in tourists from the UK was 19.4%.”

 

Viegas puts some cash figures to the 6-8% revenue decline in the Algarve, attributable to the lack of tourists from the UK - €96 million.

 

Tourists that compensated for the lack of UK effort,  predominantly were German, Dutch and Irish.

 

Total hotel revenue in the Algarve -, accommodation plus  spending on food - was €1.025 billion by the year end, up 9.4% over the previous year, while occupancy increased by 1.9%, which indicated a recovery in hotel room rates after necessary reductions during the recession.

 

Viegas fails to note sharp increases in airline ticket prices in the last quarter of 2017 as former 'low-cost' airlines took full advantage of the collapse of Monarch in early October 2017.

 

Supply was restricted further by Ryanair's embarrassing fudge over staffing rosters which caused the cancellation of thousands of flights - pushing prices still higher.

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