Algarve Hotel Occupancy Dips to 51.9% in March: What Does This Mean for Tourism?

Algarve's Hotel Occupancy Rates Decline

In March, the average hotel occupancy rate in the Algarve fell to 51.9%, a decrease of 1.8 percentage points compared to the same period in 2024, as reported by the largest hotel association in the region, AHETA.

Despite this drop, the average occupancy is still 0.2 percentage points (0.4%) higher than in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic impacted tourism activities.

Market Performance Overview

According to provisional data from AHETA, March witnessed an overall decline of 3.4% in hotel occupancy compared to last year. Notably, the markets showing the highest year-on-year growth were:

• Canadian market: +1.0 percentage points
• Dutch market: +0.5 percentage points
• German market: +0.4 percentage points

Conversely, the British market saw a decrease of 1.6 percentage points, along with a 1.4 percentage point drop in the national market compared to the same period last year.

Average Stay Duration

AHETA also noted that the average stay in Algarve accommodations was 4.3 nights, which is an increase of 0.4 percentage points compared to March 2024. The longest average stays were recorded by the Norwegian market at 12.8 nights, followed by the Swedish market at 9.6 nights, and the Dutch market with 9 nights.

This data highlights the ongoing trends and shifts within the Algarve's tourism sector as it continues to recover from the pandemic's impact.