The president of the Algarve Tourism Region (RTA), André Gomes, and the president of the Algarve Hotels and Tourism Enterprises Association (AHETA), Hélder Martins, spoke to Lusa news agency about expectations for the last week of the year, and both said that the dynamics observed in advance bookings leave them optimistic.

“Our perspective is that we will continue the sustained and sustainable growth that we have recorded throughout the year. Expectations are positive, […] we are currently at a higher level of bookings for the Christmas and New Year periods than that recorded at the end of last year,” stated André Gomes.

The president of Algarve Tourism highlighted the “good performance” of the region's tourism activity in the third quarter of the year, which covers the summer period, “with an increase” of 2% in guests, 0.5% in overnight stays and almost 7% in revenue, emphasizing the “great contribution” to these results made by the domestic market, which is also the one that most seeks the region during New Year's Eve.

Not “too expensive”

According to André Gomes, this contribution contradicted the “narrative” that the Algarve is too expensive for the Portuguese and helped to keep the region on the “growth path” it had been registering from January to September in the main indicators of the sector.

Although October figures are not yet available, André Gomes said that businesses had a “very positive” month and recalled that, at the beginning of November, the region already hosted the MotoGP Grand Prix, with 183,000 people.

“This leads us to believe that we can close the year with a very positive performance,” he considered, acknowledging that the fact that January 1st falls on a Thursday allows the Portuguese to take a “long weekend” and, if the weather is good, choose to spend the New Year in the region.

The president of AHETA, Hélder Martins, also told Lusa that hoteliers' expectations are “better than last year's, especially because the weekend this year is more generous, allowing for four days.”

Hélder Martins said that AHETA has a survey underway and the percentage of occupancy expected is not yet defined, but said that hotels are having “more advance bookings” than they had for the end of 2024.

“Those that have New Year's Eve programs with accommodation and entertainment have much higher bookings than last year,” said the official.

New Year’s Eve

The president of AHETA also highlighted that many municipalities are making “big bets” on creating programs for New Year's Eve, such as Loulé, with a concert by Xutos e Pontapés in Quarteira, or Albufeira, where a concert by the Portuguese band Silence 4 is planned.

“There are many people with last-minute reservations who, depending on the weather, let's say almost between Christmas and New Year's, decide to come down here” and spend New Year's Eve in the Algarve, but “those who want to come with a perfectly organized program, with everything arranged, have already made reservations,” he said.

Hélder Martins also said that there are hotels investing in their own accommodation and entertainment programs, as is the case in Vilamoura, in the municipality of Loulé, where one unit “has about a thousand places for New Year's Eve,” with “three or four New Year's Eve packages,” he indicated.

This is a “significant” offer and these larger hotels “are all above” the 2024 prices, with advance reservations made well in advance, he concluded.