Bumper May for Algarve tourism as guests, overnight stays and revenue rise

The Algarve enjoyed another strong month for tourism in May, welcoming more visitors, recording more overnight stays and generating €179 million in revenue – a 10.5% increase compared with the same month last year.

Figures released by the National Statistics Institute (INE) show the region received 586,100 guests, up 6.5% year-on-year, who accounted for 2.1 million overnight stays, a rise of 4.7%.

The increase was driven by both domestic and international tourism. The number of Portuguese guests rose by 12.4%, while international visitors increased by 5.1%.

Portuguese tourists also recorded a stronger rise in overnight stays, up 10%, compared with 3.8% among foreign visitors.

Albufeira once again cemented its position as the Algarve’s leading tourism hotspot, recording 815,800 overnight stays in May – a 9.1% increase on the same month last year. It was also the second most visited municipality in Portugal, trailing only Lisbon (1.5 million).

Tourists spend more time in Algarve than any other region

Visitors also continued to spend longer periods in the region than elsewhere in Portugal. The average stay in the Algarve reached 3.6 nights, almost 50% above the national average of 2.42 nights.

Meanwhile, Faro Airport handled 5.6% more passengers than a year earlier. The UK remained by far the region’s largest international market, accounting for 46.4% of all passenger traffic after growing by 8.1%.

Algarve tourism boss André Gomes said the figures demonstrate the region’s continued strength.

“May’s results confirm the consistency of the destination and its ability to grow both in volume and in value,” he said in a statement.

The president of the Algarve tourism board (RTA) noted that tourism revenue had grown faster than visitor numbers and overnight stays, which he said showed the Algarve was continuing to strengthen the value of its tourism offering.

“The strong growth of the domestic market, alongside the positive performance of international markets and Faro Airport, are important signs of confidence in the destination. These results reinforce the Algarve’s position as Portugal’s leading tourism region and as a competitive, high-quality destination that is becoming increasingly attractive throughout the year.”

Michael Bruxo

Journalist for the Portugal Resident.