HOTELS IN the Algarve were 70.1 per cent full, on average, during the month of June – figures which represent a healthy increase of 6.1 per cent in relation to June 2004.
However, going against the upward trend was the Portimão/Praia da Rocha area, which saw its hotel occupation rates fall by 4.7 per cent. The resorts of Quinta do Lago, Vilamoura and Quarteira appear to have enjoyed the greatest increases against the same period last year, registering a rise of 10.1 per cent.Meanwhile, Albufeira saw its occupation levels increase by 8.8 per cent and the Lagos/Sagres zone enjoyed a boost of 7.1 per cent.
Hotels and tourist complexes in the Albufeira area registered the highest guest levels, recording 78.4 per cent occupancy, while the lowest occupation rates were experienced in Portimão and Praia da Rocha, with accommodation there being just 58.6 per cent full.
The four star hotels and apart-hotels proved the most popular, enjoying 74.8 per cent occupancy levels, while two star hotels were, on average, just 51.8 per cent full.
Britons led the way in terms of room bookings (42.7 per cent), followed by the Portuguese (19.1 per cent) and other nationalities combining to form 10 per cent of bookings. In terms of figures, the overall sales volume increased by 0.2 per cent.
This information has been supplied by the Associação dos Hotéis e Empreendimentos Turísticos do Algarve (AHETA), the Algarve hotels and tourist resorts association.
