The Algarve's hotels recorded more than three million overnight stays in August, the strongest month of the high season for tourism in Portugal, taking a 40% share of the total number of nights spent in the country by tourists.
The regional tourist authority said National Statistics Institute figures show that in a single month, a total of 3,028,000 overnight stays were recorded in the Algarve’s hotels with an unknown additional number spent in rental properties.
The August figure is impressive, showing a 9% increase over last August but due to a growth in domestic tourism as the figure for foreigners staying in the region was down 7.2%.
Between January and August, the Algarve took a 34% share of the national tourism market, serving 3 million tourists and pocketing €800 million in hotel bookings revenue - €227 million of this was in the key month of August.
As for the average income per room, the Algarve recorded the highest value among all regions in August: €129, compared to the national figure of €90.
The new president of the Algarve’s tourist authority, João Fernandes, welcomed, "the success of tourism in the Algarve, which remains the preferred holiday destination for Portuguese and foreign visitors to our country, consolidating a growth trend that brings more value to the region."
The Algarve’s resident population represents just over 4% of the national total. Serving 40% of the nation’s tourism market in August is an impressive feat but does highlight the region’s reliance on, what in effect, is its single industry.
